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Off with his head!
Decapitated on the hill of Montmartre during the mid-third century, Saint Denis, the first patron saint of France and the first bishop of Paris, was said to have carried his head to the site where he wanted to be buried, the site of the present church…the Basilica of Saint Denis.
A shrine to Saint Denis was erected on the site, which was formerly a Gallo-Roman cemetery, and the Abbey of Saint Denis was established by Dagobert I, king of the Franks. In 636, on orders of Dagobert I, the relics of Saint Denis were reinterred into the location and then later removed when they were transferred to the parish church of the town in 1795. The relics were finally returned to the abbey in 1819. At the death of Dagobert in 639 until the 19th century, the Abbey of Saint Denis became the burial site of not only St. Denis, but the burial place of 43 kings, 32 queens and 10 servants to the monarchy. It is also interesting to note that the cathedral was only used for the coronation of French Queens, never the kings, that function being reserved for the Cathedral of Reims.
Today, Saint Denis is not on the Paris list of “must sees” but absolutely should be, as extraordinary as it is. Not many people I know, who have visited Paris, have heard of it or actually know where it is located. But, so impressed by my first visit a few years ago, I decided to make the journey to Saint Denis once again in the northern part of the city.
Taking the RER B, I headed north, changing lines to the RER D at Gare du Nord. Disembarking at Gare du St. Denis, I walked out of the station only to realize that nothing looked familiar. Asking for help, I proceeded to walk in the direction which I was pointed. About ten minutes later, following signs marking the way, I finally found the basilica.
Admittedly, the exterior is quite remarkable and some time should be taken to inspect and appreciate the intricate details on all facades of the church before entering. Admission to the nave is free and well worth a walk around. From here, you can determine why the church was promoted to cathedral status in 1966, so awesome is its beauty. Be sure to visit the gallery on the left side of the cathedral which showcases many royal items from past kings. From the nave, you can spy the tombs and monuments from afar, however, if you are aspiring to a closer look (which you will), you must pay the admission to the necropolis outside at the right of the basilica.
The entrance to the royal necropolis is just past the admission booth, however, take a minute to enter to Visitor’s Center which offers a detailed history of the cathedral as well as an architectural model of St. Denis and the surrounding area.
Once you’ve stepped back inside the basilica, you will realize how breathtaking it truly is. The architecture is impressive with its vaulted ceilings and transept roses, however, there is so much more to behold here. It is here that is the burial location of most French kings and the many monuments of kings, queens and others were moved here at the time of the Revolution, when the churches where they resided were demolished. Many of these tombs exhibit the effigies of those they represent, but no longer contain the remains, when during Revolutionary times, the tombs were opened by workers, under orders from officials, and the bodies removed and dumped into two large pits nearby. A great number, however, were saved by archaeologist Alexandre Lenoir who claimed them as artworks for his Museum of French Monuments.
Saint Denis, more of a museum of monumental sculpture, offers the largest collection of funerary sculpture from the 12th to 16th centuries and a large number of tombs of particular worth, Clovis I, the first to be moved to Saint Denis, two beautiful enameled brass effigies of Blanch and Jean, the children of St. Louis, a lovely effigy of Berthe (Big Foot), whose monument was part of a series commissioned by St. Louis. Be sure to set your eyes upon the colossal monuments of Francois I and Claude, Louis XII and Anne of Brittany and Henry II and Catherine de Medici, the parents in law of Mary, Queen of Scots. Most interesting is the monument to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, of which the remains were found on January 21, 1815 and brought to Saint Denis by the Bourbons and buried in the crypt in the Bourbon grave.
Ensure that you do not miss the stairways down to the ossuary and the crypt. The Bourbon Chapel, the first entrance down the stairs on the right, contains centographs from the 19th century which honors the Bourbon dynasty and the heart of Louis XVII. The Bourbon grave, as mentioned above, contains the remains of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The royal ossuary contains bones exhumed from the royal tombs at the time of the Revolution gathered by Louis XVIII and placed behind two marble plates with the name of each monarch. The archaeological crypt presents the remains of earlier structures and was the location of the martyred saints, Saints Denis, Rustique and Eleuthière.
So enthralled was I by the intricately sculpted tombs each with their unique hand positioning and many with their beloved pets at their feet, that I had to remind myself to take note of the beautiful stained glass featured throughout; the north transept rose features the Tree of Jess and the south transept shows the Creation as well as exceptional modern glass and twelve misericords. Many of the panels have been removed for long-time conservation and replaced with photographic transparancies.
After spending a considerable part of the afternoon, closing time was drawing near and I was ushered outside to the now-closed gates by one of the cathedral employees. Not quite ready to leave, I spent a few minutes in the waning sunlight and captured a few more photos. Truly spectacular!
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Basilica of St. Denis
- http://www.saint-denis-basilique.fr/en/
- Map of the tombs in St. Denis: https://uk.tourisme93.com/basilica/map-of-the-tombs-saint-denis-basilica.html
- Address: Basilique cathédrale de Saint-Denis 1, rue de la Légion d’Honneur,93200 Saint-Denis
- Hours: January 2-March 31 and October 1-December 31, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 1000-1715. Sunday, 1200-1715. April 1-September 30, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 1000-1815. Sunday, 1200-1815. Closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25.
- Admission: Adults, 9€, Under 26 years of age, 7€. Audio Guide, 4.50€, Under 18 years, 3€.
- Getting There: Line 13, station Basilique de Saint-Denis. The Metro Station was a couple of blocks away from the cathedral and easily spotted by the colorful pot near the entrance. Taking the Metro allowed me to avoid the walk back to Gare du St. Denis for the RER.
All but three of the Kings of France are buried in the basilica in addition to a few other monarchs. The remains of the earlier monarchs were removed from the Abbey of St. Genevieve which was destroyed.
- Clovis I (466-511)
- Childebert I (496-558)
- Aregund (515/520-580)
- Fredegund (third wife of Chilperic I), (died 597)
- Dagobert I (603-639)
- Clovis II (634-657)
- Charles Martel (686-741)
- Pepin the Short (714-768) and his wife, Bertrada of Laon (died 783)
- Carloman I (751-771)
- Charles the Bald (823-877) and his first wife, Ermentrude of Orleans (823-869)
- Carloman II (866-884)
- Robert II of France (972-1031) and his third wife, Constance of Arles (986-1032)
- Henry I of France (1008-1060)
- Louis VI of France (1081-1137)
- Louis VII of France (1120-1180) and his second wife, Constance of Castile (986-1032)
- Philip II of France (1165-1223)
- St. Louis IX of France (1214-1270)
- Charles I of Naples (1227-1285, an effigy covers his heart burial
- Philip III of France (1245-1285) and his first wife, Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France (1248-1271)
- Philip IV of France (1268-1314)
- Leo V, King of Armenia (1342-1393)
- Louis XII of France (1462-1515)
- Francis I of France (1494-1547)
- Henry II (1519-1559) and Catherine de Medici (1519-1589)
- Francis II (1544-1560)
- Charles IX (1550-1574), no monument
- Henry III (1551-1589), also King of Poland (heart burial monument)
- Henry IV (1553-1610)
- Louis XIII (1601-1643)
- Louis XIV (1638-1715)
- Louis V (1710-1774)
- Louis XVI (1754-1793) and Marie Antoinette (1755-1793)
- Louis XVII (1784-1795), heart burial
- Louis XVIII (1755-1824)
Other Royalty and Nobility
- Blanche of France (daughter of Philip IV)
- Nicolas Henri, Duke of Orleans (1607-1611), son of Henry IV
- Gaston, Duke of Orleans (1608-1660), son of Henry IV
- Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1605-1627), wife of Gaston
- Marguerite of Lorraine (1615-1672), Duchess of Orleans and second wife of Gaston
- Anne Marie Louise d’Orleans (1627-1693), la Grande Mademoiselle
- Marguerite Louise d’Orleans (1645-1721), Grand Duchess of Tuscany
- Jean Gaston d’Orleans (1650-1652), Duke of Valois
- Marie Anne d’Orleans (1652-1656), Mademoisselle de Chartres
- Henrietta Maria of France (1609-1669), wife of Charles I of Scotland and England
- Philippe I, Duke of Orleans (1640=1701), brother of Louis XIV
- Princess Henritta of England (1644-1670), first wife of Philippe
- Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (1652-1722), second wife of Philippe
- Maria Theresa of Spain (1638-1683), consort of Louis XIV
- Louis of France (1661-1711), le Grand Dauphin
- Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria (1660-1690), Dauphin of France, wife of Louis
- Princess Anne Elisabeth of France (1662), daughter of Louis XIV
- Princess Marie Anne of France (1664), daughter of Louis XIV
- Marie Thérèse of France, (667-1672), daughter of Louis XIV
- Philippe Charles, Duke of Anjou (1668-1671), son of Louis XIV
- Louis François of France (1672), Duke of Anjou, son of Louis XIV
- Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1674-1723), Regent of France
- Louis of France (1682-1712), Duke of Burgundy
- Marie Adélaïde of Savoy )1685-1712, Duchess of Burgundy
- Louis of France (1704-1705), Duke of Brittany
- Charles of France (1686-1714), Duke of Berry
- Marie Louise Elisabeth d’Orléans (1695-1719), Duchess of Berry
- Na (not baptized) d’Alençon (1711)
- Charles d’Alençon (1713), Duke of Alençon
- Marie Louise Elisabeth d’Alençon (1714)
- Marie Leszczynska (1703-1768), consort of Louis XV
- Louise Elisabeth of France (1727-1759), Duchess of Parma
- Henriette of France (1727-1752), daughter of Louis XV and twin of above
- Louise of France (1728-1733), daughter of Louis XV
- Louis of France (1729-1765), Dauphin of France
- Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain (1726-1746), first wife of Louis of France, Dauphin of France
- Maria Josepha of Saxony (1731-1767), second wife of Louis of France, Dauphin of France
- Philippe of France (1730-1733, Duke of Anjou
- Princess Marie Adèlaïde of France (1732-1800), daughter of Louis XV
- Princess Victoire of France (1733-1799), daughter of Louis XV
- Princess Sophie of France (1734-1782), daughter of Louis XV
- Princess Louise of France (1737-1787), daughter of Louis XV
- Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France (1781-1789), first son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
- Princess Sophie Hélène Béatrice of France (1786-1787), second daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
- Henri de La Tour d’Auvergne, VIcomte de Turenne (1611-1675), Maréchal General de France
- Anne of Brittany, Duchess of Brittany (1477-1514), wife of Charles VIII and Louis XII