Utracone dziedzictwo „pierworodnej córy Kościoła” na przykładzie sfery sacrum dawnej Île de la Cité
The lost legacy of the ‘eldest daughter of the Church’ exemplified by sacral architecture of the former Île de la Cité

Summary/Abstract: Conjuring up the image of the medieval buildings in the cradle of the capital of France triggers reflection on the nature of its lost religious and cultural legacy both in the material and spiritual aspect. It also evokes thoughts on the ideological significance of its – no longer existing – sacral architecture, which stood out from other buildings on the island. The temples were important not only from the religious perspective but also from political and propaganda ones. Holy relics kept in them, especially the Crown of Thorns brought to the island from Constantinople by King Louis IX in 1239, elevated Paris to the rank of a new ideological capital of the empire. Dedicating churches to the first Gallic saints can be viewed as evidence of the significance of the island at the dawn of Christianity. Its opulent sacral architecture raised the prestige of the city and proved both its religiosity and prosperity. Sacral architecture of Île de la Cité was the essence of old French religiosity in which the whole traditional culture of France was rooted.

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