Above: the north transept of Basilique-cathédrale de Saint-Denis; below: the west façade and portal of the cathédrale. Basilique-cathédrale de Saint-Denis is a necropolis of the Kings of France. 42 Kings, 32 Queens, 63 Princes and Princesses of France are buried here. In 1966, the basilica was elevated to the rank of cathedral.
Above: interior, Basilique-cathédrale de Saint-Denis. Much of the current stained glass dates to the early 1800s when restoration of the church started after the damage of the Revolution.
Above: memorial to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After the restoration of the monarchy, Louis XVIII had the remains of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette brought to St. Denis on January 21, 1815, the anniversary of the death of Louis XVI.
THE CRYPT – following the death of Louis XVI in 1793 and under the pretext of recovering the lead from the coffins for military use, deputy Barère asked the Convention to destroy, “monuments of feudalism and royalty”, notably in Saint-Denis hence attacking the symbolic power and objects of the Old Regime. In the autumn of 1793, the royal remains that were exhumed from the tombs of the basilica were mixed with lime and thrown into two mass graves dug in the cemetery north of the abbey.
BOURBON VAULT – above left: the gates to the Bourbon vault; above top right: Monsieur Gaston, Duke of Orléans, brother of Louis XIII; above right: the tomb for Louis XIV. Below left: the stained glass behind the silhouette of the bust of Louis XVIII; below right: Louis XVII, the second son and third child of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Beneath the headstone inside a crystal urn is the heart of Louis XVII. In the year 2000, DNA testing proved that the heart was that of Louis-Charles.
There is a fee to enter (mass excluded) and audio guides are available. Leaflets come in several languages and a map is included. The cathedral holds services especially on Sundays so check the opening hours on the practical information page. 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 93200 Saint-Denis, France1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 93200 Saint-Denis. Metro line 13, Basilique de St-Denis.