Basilica of Saint Denis, FranceNoted as the first Gothic cathedral (it was completed in 1144), this church holds the graves for all but three of the French monarchs.
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One of the earliest buildings to combine these elements into a coherent style was the abbey of Saint-Denis, Paris (c. 1135–44). The High Gothic years (c. 1250–1300), heralded by Chartres Cathedral, were dominated by France, especially with the development of the Rayonnant style.
However, the first buildings to be considered fully Gothic are the royal funerary abbey of the French kings, the Abbey of Saint-Denis (1134–1344), and the archiepiscopal cathedral at Sens (1143–1163). They were the first buildings to systematically combine rib vaulting, buttresses, and pointed arches.
Notable examples of early Gothic architecture in France include the ambulatory and facade of Saint-Denis Basilica; Sens Cathedral (1140); Laon Cathedral; Senlis Cathedral; (1160) and most famously Notre-Dame de Paris (begun 1160).
While the signature Gothic style originated in France, the architectural movement spread across Europe, especially in Italy, Spain, Germany and Britain. Some of the best Gothic architecture examples can be seen in France, one of the earliest being the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris completed in 1144 CE.