Architecture, Space and Memory: Liturgical Representation of Thomas Becket, 1170–1220

‘Blessed place, blessed church/In which the memory of Thomas flourishes!’ Thus begins the antiphon Felix locus from the passion office of Thomas Becket (d. 1170), written around 1173. Performed annually on the anniversary of his martyrdom, the chant exemplifies the ways in which the Christ Church monks sought to keep Becket’s memory alive at the place of his death through the institution of a liturgy that outlined the parameters of his sanctity. By instituting a framework of devotion at Canterbury, the monks also attempted to ‘re-experience’ Becket’s martyrdom through performance of the liturgy, especially in the newly constructed Trinity chapel, a ‘virtual reliquary’ for the saint’s relics. These hagiographic narratives were expanded in 1220, fifty years after Becket’s death, when Archbishop Stephen Langton (d. 1228) arranged for Becket’s translation from the crypt into the Trinity chapel. This article will explore ways in which Canterbury Cathedral was cast as a permanent memorial to Becket, creating a conversation between chant, architecture, and performance, thereby underlining the cathedral’s importance as the stage of Becket’s martyrdom.