Which French cathedral is the traditional birthplace of Gothic architecture?

The Basilica of Saint-Denis is traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Gothic architecture.

Abbot Suger directed a major rebuilding of the church in the twelfth century. The new choir, consecrated in 1144, used innovations including pointed arches, rib vaults, and extensive stained-glass windows to create a taller and brighter interior.

Saint-Denis was not originally a cathedral; it became the cathedral of the Diocese of Saint-Denis in 1966. The church is also the historic burial place of French monarchs, making it both an architectural landmark and a major royal necropolis.

The phrase “birthplace of Gothic architecture” is a traditional description rather than a claim that every Gothic technique began there. Earlier Romanesque buildings had already used some related structural ideas.