Editing Holyrood Abbey (section)

==History==
[[File:Holyrood abbey intact.jpg|thumb|upright|The Chapel Royal at the time of James VII<ref>Daniel, William S. (1852), ''History of the Abbey and Palace of Holyrood''. Edinburgh: Duncan Anderson. facing p. 129.</ref>]]

Legend relates that in 1127, while King David I was hunting in the forests to the east of Edinburgh during the [[Feast of the Cross]], he was thrown from his horse after it had been startled by a [[hart (deer)|hart]]. According to variations of the story, the king was saved from being gored by the charging animal when it was startled either by the miraculous appearance of a holy cross descending from the skies, or by sunlight reflected from a [[crucifix]] which suddenly appeared between the hart's antlers while the king attempted to grasp them in self-defence. As an act of thanksgiving for his escape, David I founded Holyrood Abbey on the site in 1128.<ref name=BoS>{{cite book |author1=McWilliam, Colin |author2=Gifford, John |author3=Walker, David |year=1984 |publisher=Penguin |title=Edinburgh |series=[[Pevsner Architectural Guides|The Buildings of Scotland]] |isbn=978-0-14-071068-7 |author-link1=Colin McWilliam}}</ref>

In the church was preserved, in a golden [[reliquary]], an object said to be a fragment of the True Cross brought by David's mother, [[Saint Margaret of Scotland|St. Margaret]], from Waltham Abbey, and known thereafter as the Black Rood of Scotland (the [[Holyrood (cross)]]). At the battle of Neville's Cross, in 1346, this precious relic fell into the hands of the English, and it was placed in Durham Cathedral, from where it disappeared at the Reformation.<ref name="CaE">{{CathEncy|wstitle= Holyrood Abbey |volume= 7 |last= Hunter-Blair |first= David Oswald |author-link= |short=1 }}</ref>

[[File:Sanctuary marker for Holyrood Abbey, Royal Mile, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|left|Sanctuary marker for Holyrood Abbey, Royal Mile, Edinburgh]]

The abbey was originally served by a community of Augustinian [[Canons Regular]] from [[Merton Priory]]. The layout of the original church at Holyrood, now known only from excavations, probably came from the 1125 church at the priory.<ref name=BoS/> In 1177 the [[papal legate]] Vivian held council here. In 1189 the nobles and prelates of Scotland met here to discuss raising a ransom for [[William the Lion]].<ref name=BoS/>

[[File:Holyrood Abbey aisle vaults.jpg|thumb|The aisle vault of the 4th bay, showing the rough quality of the construction.]]
[[File:Stuctural model of the hypothesis of sexpartite vaults for the nave.jpg|thumb|A structural model for the Finite Element analysis of the hypothesis of sexpartite vaults in Holyrood Abbey<ref>Duncan Hamilton, "The Strength of historic Gothic vaulting", a dissertation for the MSc in Structural Engineering and Mechanics, University of Edinburgh, September 2010 (supervised by D. Theodossopoulos)</ref>]]

The original abbey church of Holyrood was largely reconstructed between 1195 and 1230.<ref name="BoS" /> The completed building consisted of a six-bay aisled [[Choir (architecture)|choir]], three-bay [[transept]]s with a central tower above, and an eight-bay aisled [[nave]] with twin towers at its west front.<ref name="Fawcett, p.62">Fawcett, p. 62</ref> Some scholars believe the high vaults to be sexpartite (though this is not clearly supported by the 17th century illustrations of the interior). Such a design was probably archaic in that period, and difficult to execute or maintain. Evidence of the construction qualities of the stonemasons has remained on the S aisle vaults, which are set on an almost square plan of 4.4 m (14 feet), but built relatively roughly, with thin flagstones and not much attention to keeping the vertices straight. They were probably plastered, with exposed thin ribs.

Among the chief benefactors of Holyrood during the four centuries of its existence as a religious house were Kings David I and II; Robert, Bishop of St. Andrews; and Fergus, Lord of Galloway.<ref name="CaE" />

Around the abbey was a five-mile area of [[sanctuary]], taking in much of [[Holyrood Park]], where debtors and those accused of crimes could appeal to the [[Bailie of Holyroodhouse]] for protection. Brass sanctuary stones mark the boundary of the sanctuary on the Royal Mile. Those granted sanctuary would be given lodgings in the buildings around the abbey and obtained the nickname 'Abbey [[Laird]]s'.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/fascinating-tale-behind-edinburghs-sanctuary-15841161| title = The fascinating tale behind Edinburgh's unusual Sanctuary Stone – Edinburgh Live| date = 16 February 2019}}</ref>

The [[Parliament of Scotland]] met at the abbey in 1256, 1285, 1327, 1366, 1384, 1389 and 1410. In 1326, [[Robert the Bruce]] held parliament here, and there is evidence that Holyrood was being used as a royal residence by 1329.<ref name=BoS/> The [[Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton]] (1328), which ended the [[First War of Scottish Independence]], was signed by [[Robert I of Scotland|Robert I]] in the "King's Chamber" at Holyrood in March 1328. The abbey's position close to [[Edinburgh Castle]] meant that it was often visited by Scotland's kings, who were lodged in the guest house situated to the west of the abbey [[cloister]]. In the mid-15th century, with the emergence of Edinburgh as the main seat of the royal court and the chief city in the kingdom, the Kings of Scots increasingly used the accommodation at Holyrood for secular purposes. [[James II of Scotland|James II]] and his twin brother [[Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay|Alexander, Duke of Rothesay]], were born there in October 1430. James was also crowned at Holyrood in 1437 and building works were carried out before his marriage there in 1449.<ref>Gallagher, p. 1079.</ref><ref>Fawcett, p. 62.</ref>

Between 1498 and 1501, [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] constructed a royal palace at Holyrood, adjacent to the abbey cloister. The Abbey refectory was converted into a Great Hall for the Palace, and a new refectory was built to the east for the community . In 1507 and 1508 the dances, [[masques]], and banquets concluding the tournaments of the [[Wild Knight and the Black Lady]] were held in the converted refectory.<ref>John Lowrey, 'Royal Presence in the Canongate', ''Scotland's Parliament Site and the Canongate: archaeology and history'' (Edinburgh, 2008), pp. 70, 77.</ref>

A corps of guards were instituted at the end of the 15th century to guard the monarch and enforce law and order within the precincts of the palace and Abbey Sanctuary called the [[High Constables and Guard of Honour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse]].

===16th century onwards===
Royal influence over the abbey further increased when in 1538 [[Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney|Robert Stewart]], the infant, illegitimate son of [[James V of Scotland|James V]], was appointed as [[commendator]] of Holyrood.<ref name="Fawcett, p.62"/><ref>Gallagher, p. 1080.</ref>

[[File:Ruins of Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh.JPG|thumb|left|The ruins of the abbey church]]

During the [[The Rough Wooing|War of the Rough Wooing]], the invading English armies of the [[Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset|Earl of Hertford]] inflicted structural damage on Holyrood Abbey in 1544 and 1547. Lead was stripped from the roof, the bells were removed, and the contents of the abbey were plundered. In 1559, during the [[Scottish Reformation]], the abbey suffered further damage when a mob destroyed the altars and looted the rest of the church.<ref name="Gallagher, p.1084">Gallagher, p. 1084.</ref> With the reformation and the end of monastic services, the [[Liturgical east#Liturgical east end|east end]] of the abbey church became redundant. In 1569, Adam Bothwell, the commendator of Holyrood, informed the [[General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]] that the east end was in such a state of disrepair that the choir and transept should be demolished. This was done the following year, retaining only the nave, which by then was serving as the parish church of the [[burgh]] of [[The Canongate|Canongate]]. Between 1570 and 1573 an east gable was erected, closing the east end of the former nave, all but two of the windows in the nave were blocked up, the royal tombs were removed to a new royal burial vault in the south aisle and the old east end was demolished.<ref name="Gallagher, p.1084"/>

The abbey was extensively remodelled in 1633 for the coronation of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] which was undertaken with full [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] rites.

[[File:Holyrood Abbey ruin 200411.jpg|thumb|The ruined nave]]

In 1686, [[James II of England|James VII]] established a [[Jesuit]] college within Holyrood Palace. The following year, the Protestant congregation was moved to the new [[Kirk of the Canongate]], and the abbey was converted into a Roman Catholic Chapel Royal and the chapel of the [[Order of the Thistle]].<ref name="Burnett and Bennett. p.7">Burnett and Bennett. p. 7.</ref> The abbey church was remodelled according to the plans of [[James Smith (architect, died 1731)|James Smith]], and was fitted with elaborate thrones and stalls for the individual [[Knights of the Thistle]], carved by [[Grinling Gibbons]]. However, in 1688, following the [[Glorious Revolution]], the Edinburgh mob broke into the abbey, entered the Chapel Royal and desecrated the royal tombs.<ref name="Burnett and Bennett. p.7"/><ref name="Gallagher, p.1085">Gallagher, p. 1085.</ref>

The association of the church with these events and the absence of a royal court left the building out of public interest. [[James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton]] commissioned the architect [[John Douglas (Scottish architect)|John Douglas]] and the stonemason James McPherson to replace the ageing timber roof trusses by stone vaults and outer stone slabs,  the work being carried out between 1758 and 1760.<ref>Freeman, W.F. (1984), ''[[Robert Fergusson]] and the Scots Humanist Compromise'', [[Edinburgh University Press]], pp. 205 & 206, {{isbn|0852244746}}</ref> However, this proved to be a disastrous change. The excessive weight of the stone could not be supported by the walls. The strength of stone vaults depends on the containment of their thrusts, which the decayed flying buttresses could not contain any more, and a small movement (less than 1/30 of the span) can cause severe deformation and collapse.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Theodossopoulos|first=Dimitris|title=Case Study of the Failure of a Cross Vault: Church of Holyrood Abbey|journal= Journal of Architectural Engineering|volume=9 |issue=3 |page=2003|doi=10.1061/(ASCE)1076-0431(2003)9:3(109)|year=2003}}</ref><ref>Theodossopoulos, D. 2016 pp. 954–974</ref> It took six years for the deformation to become alarming. This forced the [[Court of Exchequer (Scotland)|Barons of the Exchequer]] (the administrators of the Palace) to close the church on safety grounds in 1766, following inspection by [[William Mylne]].

On 2 December 1768 the roof collapsed in two stages,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fywoAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Scots+Magazine%22++1768&pg=PA639|title=Holyroodhouse Abbey falls down |magazine=The Scots Magazine |date=December 3, 1768 |volume=XXX |page=667 |access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> leaving the abbey as it currently stands, a roofless ruin.

[[File:Edinburgh Abbey Strand-20110904-RM-131415.jpg|thumb|The Abbey Strand, originally served as apartments for those seeking refuge within the Abbey sanctuary]]

The restoration of the abbey has been proposed several times since the 18th century – in 1835 by the architect [[James Gillespie Graham]] as a meeting place for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and, in 1906, as a chapel for the Knights of the Thistle – but both proposals were rejected.<ref name="Gallagher, p.1085" />

In July 1829, the ruins of the Holyrood Chapel were visited by [[Felix Mendelssohn]]. Holyrood, as Mendelssohn related to his family in a letter, served as inspiration for his [[Symphony No. 3 (Mendelssohn)|''Scottish Symphony'']].<ref>R. Larry Todd, 'Mendelssohn', in D. Kern Holoman (ed.), ''The Nineteenth-Century Symphony'' (New York: Schirmer, 1997), pp. 78–107</ref>