Peter of Montereau
Encyclopedia
Pierre de Montereau or Pierre de Montreuil (c.1200 - March 17, 1266, Paris
) was a French
architect
. He is widely recognized as one of the most important proponents of Gothic architecture
, though little is known of his life and sources vary as to which buildings are by him.
After some time training in Champagne
, he worked on the Basilique Saint-Denis until around 1231. His talent was noticed and he was summoned around 1239 by the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
to Paris
to build them a new refectory. Between 1246 and 1248 he built his masterpiece, the Sainte-Chapelle
, for Louis IX
. Situated on the Île de la Cité
, it represents a model of Gothic art, filled with openings and windows and reducing the walls to a minimum. He also built a Sainte-Chapelle at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
, the initial home of the relics meant for the Paris Sainte-Chapelle. Around 1250, he built the single-nave Sainte-Chapelle de Notre-Dame in the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Also attributed to him, around 1260, is the modification of the transept arms of Notre Dame de Paris
, as well as the chapel at château de Vincennes
and the refectory of the abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs in Paris (today the library of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
).
He was buried with his wife in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the chapel he had built. His epitaph is engraved on the tomb and gives his title as docteur ès pierre (doctor in stone). This chapel and the refectory of Saint-Germain-des-Prés were demolished in 1794.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. He is widely recognized as one of the most important proponents of Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, though little is known of his life and sources vary as to which buildings are by him.
After some time training in Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
, he worked on the Basilique Saint-Denis until around 1231. His talent was noticed and he was summoned around 1239 by the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, just beyond the outskirts of early medieval Paris, was the burial place of Merovingian kings of Neustria...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to build them a new refectory. Between 1246 and 1248 he built his masterpiece, the Sainte-Chapelle
Sainte-Chapelle
La Sainte-Chapelle is the only surviving building of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion Relics, including the Crown of Thorns - one of the most important relics in medieval...
, for Louis IX
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
. Situated on the Île de la Cité
Île de la Cité
The Île de la Cité is one of two remaining natural islands in the Seine within the city of Paris . It is the centre of Paris and the location where the medieval city was refounded....
, it represents a model of Gothic art, filled with openings and windows and reducing the walls to a minimum. He also built a Sainte-Chapelle at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a royal palace in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the département of Yvelines, about 19 km west of Paris, France. Today, it houses the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale ....
, the initial home of the relics meant for the Paris Sainte-Chapelle. Around 1250, he built the single-nave Sainte-Chapelle de Notre-Dame in the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Also attributed to him, around 1260, is the modification of the transept arms of Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
, as well as the chapel at château de Vincennes
Château de Vincennes
The Château de Vincennes is a massive 14th and 17th century French royal castle in the town of Vincennes, to the east of Paris, now a suburb of the metropolis.-History:...
and the refectory of the abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs in Paris (today the library of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
The Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers , or National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, is a doctoral degree-granting higher education establishment operated by the French government, dedicated to providing education and conducting research for the promotion of science and industry...
).
He was buried with his wife in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the chapel he had built. His epitaph is engraved on the tomb and gives his title as docteur ès pierre (doctor in stone). This chapel and the refectory of Saint-Germain-des-Prés were demolished in 1794.