Paris Historical Monuments

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THE ABBEY OF SAINT-DENIS
Paris Monument

A royal monument

As early as the 5th century AD, Franc aristocrats were buried in the basilica; Dagobert was the first sovereign to be buried there in 639. Over the centuries the Saint-Denis basilica became the « King’s Cemetery ». In the 13th century the necropolis character of Saint-Denis was reinforced by the introduction of sculpted tombs, their magnificent style was to evolve over the centuries. Today, forty-three kings, thirty-two queens and ten great servants of the kings of France repose in the basilica.

The Abbey of Saint-Denis

The basilica, built on the site of the sepulcher of Saint-Denis, became a place of pilgrimage following his martyrdom by the Romans in the 3rd century AD. In the 7th century a Benedictine community took up residence and remained at the basilica until the Revolution in the late 18th century. During this time the Abbey of Saint-Denis established privileged links with the monarchy, and illuminated the period through its artistic, political and spiritual history.

The birth of Gothic art

The first chapel was established on the site of Saint-Denis tomb around 475 AD. In 775, in the presence of Charlemagne, a new church with a crypt was constructed. The Abbot Suger using the latest architectural techniques and light produced by stained-glass windows constructed the nave, jewel of emerging Gothic architecture, in the 12th century. Fifty years of reconstruction, under the reign of Saint-Louis in the 13th century, have made the basilica one of the most important structures of Gothic architecture.

Paris Historical Monuments

Paris Historical Monuments

THE ABBEY OF SAINT-DENISParis Monument

Paris Historical Monuments

THE ABBEY OF SAINT-DENIS
Paris Monument