This dissertation takes as its primary focus the cathedral of Notre-Dame at Senlis in an attempt to reestablish the original context of its sixteenth-century rebuilding, and to address the issue of its royal character. While Senlis has been studied in relation to the major late Gothic cathedrals of northern France, it has not been discussed in a broader context. This study, therefore, begins by examining the historical and political period prior to, and during the monument's reconstruction, the involvement of the monarch, Francois I (1515--1547), in the appointment of bishops to Senlis, and finally the procuring of funds for the rebuilding of the cathedral. The early building history of Notre-Dame at Senlis is, then, presented as a foil to the later rebuilding. Likewise, the late medieval building activity in Senlis proceeds a formal analysis of the cathedral and its symbolism. By focusing on the iconographic details, this study establishes the wealth of emblematic representation incorporated in the rebuilding of the cathedral and relates this aspect to contemporary royal building activity in France and abroad. As an important example of the increasingly politicized nature of ecclesiastical architecture prior to the outbreak of the Wars of Religion, the cathedral of Notre-Dame at Senlis affords a new perspective on the architecture of the late Gothic/Renaissance period.

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