Basilica of Saint-Denis

1 Rue de la Légion, St-Denis, M° Basilique St-Denis,
Paris
IIe-de-France
France
01 48 09 83 54

Location: St-Denis

Type: Religious Site
Hours: Open daily, 10am to 6:15pm (open Sunday from noon; closes 5:15pm October to March)

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The prestigious Basilica of Saint-Denis is known as the royal necropolis of France, where all but three of the French monarchs since King Dagobert in the seventh century have been buried. The current basilica was built in the 12th century on the burial site of St-Denis, the martyred patron saint of France.

Important renovations under Saint-Louis (King Louis IX) in the 13th century turned the basilica into one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture, copied throughout Europe. Its funerary art is impressive, with many tombs from the 12th to the 16th centuries decorated with life-sized statues of the recumbent kings and queens. Revolutionary mobs ransacked the tombs in 1793, throwing the remains into mass graves. When the Bourbons returned to power briefly in 1817, Louis XVIII recovered the bodies of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, and transferred the remains from the mass graves to the basilica’s crypt. Don’t miss the small chapel on the left displaying Louis XVIII’s funeral robes and a replica of Charlemagne’s crown.

To enter the necropolis and the crypt, you need to exit the basilica on the right and buy a ticket at the small booth (entry Euro 6.10, Euro 4.10 for kids; free on the first Sundays, October through March). Museum Pass accepted. Audio guides cost Euro 4 for one or Euro 5.50 for two. There’s also a visitor’s center with restrooms here if you need them.