Question

what was abbot suger’s history with st. denis that made him so interested in its preservation?

Explanation:

Abbot Suger had a long, formative connection to the Abbey of St. Denis: he was educated there as a child, served as a monk, prior, and eventually became its abbot in 1122. He viewed St. Denis as the spiritual heart of France, linked to the nation's royal legacy (it was the burial site of French kings), and believed restoring and enhancing it would glorify God, honor the saint, and solidify the abbey's and France's religious and political standing.

Answer:

Abbot Suger was educated at the Abbey of St. Denis from childhood, went on to serve as a monk, prior, and finally its abbot starting in 1122. He saw St. Denis as a central spiritual and royal site (it was the burial place of French monarchs), and his deep, lifelong ties to the abbey, combined with his belief that enhancing it would glorify God and elevate France's religious and political prestige, drove his intense interest in its preservation and renovation.