Basilica of Saint-Denis facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Basilica of Saint-Denis
Basilique Saint-Denis (French)
West façade of Saint-Denis
48°56′08″N 2°21′35″E / 48.93556°N 2.35972°E / 48.93556; 2.35972
Location	Saint-Denis, France
Denomination	Catholic
Tradition	Roman Rite
Architecture
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	1135; 890 years ago (1135)
Administration
Diocese	Saint-Denis

The Basilica of Saint-Denis (French: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis) is a very old church near Paris, France. It's super important for two reasons. First, its special design, finished in 1144, is thought to be the very first building to use all the main parts of Gothic architecture.

Second, it became a famous pilgrimage spot and the burial place for almost every king of France. From the 900s to the 1800s, many kings, like Louis XVIII, were buried here. French queens were also crowned at Saint-Denis. Important royal items, like the king's sword and scepter, were kept here too.

The church stands on an ancient Roman cemetery. Archeologists have found graves from both Christian and older traditions. Around 475 AD, St. Genevieve built a small church here. In 636, Dagobert I ordered the remains of Saint Denis, a patron saint of France, to be moved to the basilica.

In the 1100s, a leader named Abbot Suger rebuilt parts of the church. He used new building ideas that created the first true Gothic style. Later, in the 1200s, the master builder Pierre de Montreuil updated the main part of the church in a newer Gothic style called Rayonnant.

In 1966, the church became a cathedral. This means it's the main church for the local area. The current bishop is Pascal Delannoy.

A tall spire, which was taken down in the 1800s, is planned to be rebuilt. This big project started over 30 years ago. It is expected to take about 11 years to finish.

History of the Basilica

Early Beginnings

The basilica is built where Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris, is believed to be buried. Legend says he was beheaded around 250 AD. He then supposedly carried his own head a long way to this spot, showing where he wanted to be buried. A small shrine was built over his grave around 313 AD.

Saint Genevieve later made this shrine bigger. She added tombs, including one for Aregonde, the wife of King Clothar I.

In 632, Dagobert I, a King of the Franks, turned the church into the Abbey of Saint-Denis. It became a large Benedictine monastery with over 500 monks. Dagobert also asked Eligius, a skilled goldsmith, to create a beautiful shrine for Saint Denis's remains. This shrine was decorated with gold, gems, and marble.

Dagobert I visiting the building site of the Abbey of St. Denis (painted 1473)
Clovis II visiting Saint Denis (painted in 15th c.)

The Carolingian Church

King Pepin the Short promised to rebuild the old abbey. A new church was started in 754 and finished in 775. Charlemagne was there for its dedication.

Most of what we know about this church comes from excavations that started in 1937. The church was about 80 meters long. It had a grand front, a main hall (nave) with marble columns, and a special area at the east end (apse). During big events, 1250 lamps lit the church.

Under the apse, a crypt (underground chapel) was built. It held the tomb of Saint Denis and his friends. Pilgrims could walk around the tombs. This crypt was later rebuilt by Abbot Hilduin and then by Suger.

Walls of the crypt built by the Abbot Hilduin (9th century)
Capital of a column in the Carolingian crypt
Earliest sarcophogi in the crypt

Abbot Suger and the First Gothic Style

Abbot Suger (around 1081–1151) was a very important person in the church's history. He became the Abbot in 1122. He was a close friend and advisor to Kings Louis VI and Louis VII. Suger was great at raising money. Around 1135, he started rebuilding and making the abbey bigger. He wanted to rebuild it because the old church was falling apart. Also, it was too small for all the pilgrims who came to visit Saint Denis's shrine.

Thanks to Suger, the Basilica became a main church for French royalty. It was as important as Reims Cathedral, where kings were crowned. The Abbey also kept the royal items used for coronations. From 1124, kings would carry the oriflamme, a special battle flag of St. Denis, when they went to war. This was believed to give them the Saint's protection.

Abbot Suger shown in the Tree of Jesse window (19th c.)
Louis VI of France visiting St. Denis (14th century illustration)
The Oriflamme (top left), or battle flag of French kings, was kept at Saint Denis.
King Philip II of France receives the Oriflamme from the bishop before going to war (13th c., 1841 painting)

West Front (1135–1140)

Suger started rebuilding at the west end of the church. He tore down the old front and made the main hall longer. He added a huge new front with three doorways and three chapels on the first floor.

This new design had strong vertical supports and clear horizontal lines. This style influenced many future Gothic church fronts. The doorways had gilded bronze doors with scenes from Christ's life. Suger even had a message carved there, asking for mercy from God.

New Choir (1140–1144)

Suger's biggest change was in the choir, the area for the clergy. He replaced thick walls with thin columns. This made the inside of the church filled with light. He wanted the church to "shine with the wonderful and uninterrupted light of most luminous windows."

Suger's builders used ideas from older Romanesque churches, like rib vaults and outside buttresses. These allowed for much larger windows and fewer inside walls. This was the first time all these features were put together. The new style was much lighter than older churches and had huge stained glass windows.

The new architecture had deep meaning. The twelve columns in the choir stood for the twelve Apostles. The light represented the Holy Spirit. Suger believed that light was a reflection of God. His words were carved in the church: "For bright is that which is brightly coupled with the bright/and bright is the noble edifice which is pervaded by the new light." This idea of light became a key part of Gothic architecture.

Two different master builders worked on the church in the 1100s. We don't know their names. The first one liked detailed decorations. The second, who finished the west front and built the new choir, used simpler designs. This simpler style helped create the lighter Gothic look.

The Portal of Valois was a Gothic structure planned by Suger. It was moved in the 1200s to the north side of the church. Its sculptures show kings from the Old Testament and the martyrdom of Saint Denis. These carvings were a big step forward in Gothic sculpture.

The new church was finished and dedicated on June 11, 1144. The King was there for the ceremony. Saint-Denis became a model for other royal buildings in France. This Gothic style then spread across Europe.

Rebuilding the Nave – The Rayonnant Style (1200s)

Suger died in 1151, and the Gothic rebuilding wasn't finished. In 1231, Abbot Odo Clement started rebuilding the old main hall (nave). The nave and the upper parts of Suger's choir were rebuilt in the Rayonnant Gothic style.

The glazed triforium (center level) and upper clerestory, where windows fill almost the entire wall, a prominent feature of Rayonnant Gothic. (present windows from 19th c.)
Rayonnant rose window in the north transept

This new plan, approved by King King Louis IX and his mother, made the church a clearer "royal necropolis" or burial place. In 1264, the bones of 16 former kings and queens were moved to new tombs around the center of the church. These tombs had lifelike statues of the kings and queens lying down. Many were damaged during the French Revolution but were later fixed.

The old, dark Romanesque nave was rebuilt using the latest Rayonnant Gothic techniques. This style used very little wall space. Solid stone was replaced with huge windows filled with colorful stained glass. These windows were everywhere, even in the middle level (triforium), which was usually dark. The large ends of the church (transepts) had two amazing 12-meter-wide rose windows. The architect for this work is also unknown.

Later Centuries (1400s–1700s)

The cathedral was attacked and robbed twice. Once during the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) and again during the Wars of Religion (1562–1598). Most damage was to tombs and valuable items.

Many changes were made under Marie de' Medici and later royal families. A chapel was built for the tombs of the Valois Dynasty. In 1771, the old column-statues on the west front were removed. These were later replaced with copies in the 1800s.

In the 1700s, the buildings next to the church were rebuilt. Napoleon later turned these buildings into a school for girls, which is still there today.

The cathedral in 1655 by Claude Chastillon
Henry IV of France renounces Protestantism in 1593 at Saint-Denis by Nicolas Baullery

The French Revolution and Napoleon

Because of its strong ties to the French kings, Saint-Denis was a target during the French Revolution. In 1792, the monks left, and the monastery was closed. The church was used to store grain.

In 1793, the revolutionary government ordered the royal tombs to be opened and destroyed. However, a group was formed to save important historical monuments. Many of these were moved to a museum.

Most of the old monastery buildings were torn down in 1792. The church itself was damaged. Its valuable items were taken, and its roof tiles were melted down for bullets. This left the church open to the weather.

The looting of the church in 1793, by Friedrich Staffnick
The violation of the royal tombs in 1793 depicted by Hubert Robert

1800s – Repair and Renovation

Napoleon reopened the church in 1806. He planned for it to be his own burial place. He also ordered three chapels to be built for the last French kings.

After Napoleon, the remains of King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were moved to Saint-Denis. The last king buried here was Louis XVIII in 1824.

In 1813, François Debret became the main architect. For 30 years, he worked to fix the damage from the Revolution. He replaced stained glass windows with images of French kings. In 1845, a spire he built on the north tower collapsed because of design errors.

Debret resigned, and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc took over. He was a famous restorer of Gothic buildings. Viollet-le-Duc worked on the Abbey until he died in 1879. He focused on the tombs, turning parts of the church into a museum of French sculpture.

The left tower, completed, damaged and removed in the 1840s
The two-tower plan of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, never built

Recent History (1900s and 2000s)

In 1895, the church lost its cathedral status and became a regular parish church. It became a cathedral again in 1966. Its official name is now the "Baslilique-cathédrale de Saint-Denis."

In 2016, plans to rebuild the north tower's spire were proposed again. A group called Suivez la flèche ("Follow the Spire") is raising money for the project. Work was expected to start in May 2020. In 2023, many old graves were found in the Basilica. Also, the church's stained glass windows are in the final stage of a 25-year restoration project.

West portals before cleaning (2011)

Outside the Basilica

The West Front

The west front of the church, finished in 1140, has three sections. Each section has its own entrance, representing the Holy Trinity. A special wall design at the top connects the towers. This shows that the church front was a symbolic entrance to a heavenly city.

The west front
Tympanum and lintel of the central portal "Last Judgement (c. 1135, restored 1839)
The west front after its cleaning

This new front is 34 meters wide and 20 meters deep. It has three doorways, with the middle one being the largest. This design was influenced by older churches. Only the south tower remains today. The north tower was taken down after a storm in 1846.

The west front used to have statues of Old Testament kings and queens. These were removed in 1771 and mostly destroyed during the French Revolution. Some heads can be seen in a museum in Paris.

The bronze doors of the central entrance are modern copies of the originals. The originals showed scenes from Christ's life. Suger's builders also added a rose window above the central entrance. This was probably the first time a rose window was used in a square frame. It became a key feature of Gothic church fronts.

East End and Transepts

The chevet, at the east end of the cathedral, was one of the first parts rebuilt in the Gothic style. Abbot Suger ordered this work in 1140, and it was finished in 1144. It was changed again in 1231 under King Louis IX. The apse was built much taller, along with the nave.

The apse, or east end of the cathedral, in 1878
North transept (left) and north nave walls and buttresses (19th c.)
The Rayonnant south transept
South side of the nave, with buttresses and chapels

Large flying buttresses were added to support the high walls and allow for huge windows. The transept was made bigger and given large rose windows in the new Rayonnant style. The walls of the nave were almost entirely filled with windows. These upper walls were also supported by flying buttresses.

North and South Portals

The Porte de Valois, or north portal, was first built in the 1100s. It was rebuilt at the end of the north transept in the 1200s. Its sculptures are very important in Gothic art. They show great skill and natural-looking figures. There are six figures in the doorframes and thirty figures in the arches above the door. These likely represent Old Testament kings. The scene above the door shows Saint-Denis being martyred. This portal was one of Suger's last projects. The original sculptures were destroyed in the Revolution and replaced in the 1800s.

Sculpture of the Porte de Valois, or north portal
The south portal and sculpture
Detail of the south portal sculpture

The scene above the south portal shows Saint Denis and his friends in their last days before they were martyred. The side pillars have carvings of the daily tasks for each month of the year.

Inside the Basilica

The Nave and Choir

The nave (the main part for people) and the choir (for the clergy) were rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 1200s. Like other Gothic churches in the area, its walls had three levels. There were large arches on the ground floor. Above that was a narrow passageway called a triforium. Higher up were tall windows called the clerestory.

Rayonnant Gothic choir of St Denis.
The nave and choir
The elevation of the nave, with glass-filled triforium and upper windows
The vaults in the transept

Slender columns went up the walls to support the vaulted ceilings. Because of the Rayonnant changes, the triforium also got windows. The upper walls were completely filled with glass, making the church very bright.

The Ambulatory and Chapels

The chevet, built by Suger in just four years (1140-1144), was one of the first great Gothic designs. The double ambulatory (a walkway around the altar) is separated by two rows of columns, not walls. The outside walls have many windows thanks to buttresses outside. This design lets light flood into the choir.

The ambulatory (1140–1144)
Ambulatory
Ambulatory and chapels
The axial chapel of the Virgin (12th c.)

The ambulatory connects to five chapels at the east end of the cathedral. These chapels also have large windows. To make them look more connected, the chapels share the same vaulted roofs. The walls between them are hidden by slender columns and decorative patterns.

The church still has stained glass from many different periods. Some original glass from Suger's time has been moved for safekeeping.

Crypt and Royal Tombs

Saint-Denis became the official burial place for French kings under Hugh Capet (987–996). However, some earlier kings were already buried there. The site was chosen because of its link to Saint Denis. Almost all French monarchs from the 900s until 1793 are buried here. Some kings, like Clovis I, were moved here from other churches.

The archeological crypt (8th century) rebuilt by Suger (12th c.), now contains the simple black marble tombs of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette
Carolingian decoration from the early crypt
Tomb of Dagobert I, first King buried at St. Denis remade in the 13th century

The crypt under the church has two parts. The older part, built around 775 AD, allowed pilgrims to walk around Saint Denis's relics. It was lit by small windows and lamps. Suger rebuilt and extended the crypt. Its walls are decorated with carvings of Bible stories and scenes from Saint Denis's life. Many of the original carvings are still there.

During the French Revolution, the bodies of the kings and queens were removed from their coffins. They were thrown into ditches and covered with lime. Many monuments were saved by Alexandre Lenoir, who claimed them as artworks for his museum.

In 1817, the restored royal family ordered the mass graves to be opened. Only small parts of three bodies remained. The bones from 158 bodies were collected and placed in an ossuary (a bone storage area) in the crypt. Marble plates list their names.

Later, more tombs were placed along the aisles around the choir and nave. In the 1200s, King Louis IX (Saint Louis) ordered many important tombs for earlier kings and historical figures. Their remains were brought from other churches. These new tombs all looked similar, showing a figure lying down and holding a staff. This was to show the continuous line of French kings.

Tomb of Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne (1515)
Tomb of Catherine de Medici and Henry II of France (1559)
Funeral urn of Francois I by sculptor Pierre Bontemps (1556)

The tombs from the Renaissance period are very grand and varied. The largest is for Louis XII (died 1515) and his wife, Anne of Brittany (died 1514). It looks like a white marble temple filled with figures. Inside, the King and Queen are shown realistically as they were dying. On the roof, they are shown again, kneeling and praying peacefully.

The monument for Henry II of France and Catherine de Medici (1559) is similar. It's a Roman temple designed by Primatrice. Sculptures on the roof show the King and Queen praying.

In the 1800s, after the monarchy was restored, Louis XVIII had the remains of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette brought to Saint-Denis. Their tombs are now covered with black marble slabs. Louis XVIII himself was buried in the center of the crypt in 1824.

In 2004, the mummified heart of the Dauphin, the boy who would have been Louis XVII, was placed in a crystal vase in the crypt. DNA tests confirmed it was authentic.

Sacristy

The Sacristy is a room where clergy put on their special clothes. In 1812, it was changed into a gallery with murals showing scenes from the cathedral's history. One painting, "Allegory of the Divine Word" by Simon Vouet, was originally made for King Louis XIII. It was brought to the cathedral in 1993. The room also displays valuable items from the cathedral's collection.

The Sacristy, rebuilt in 1812

Art and Decoration

Stained Glass

Abbot Suger ordered a lot of stained glass for the new east end. Only a small amount of the original glass from his time remains. In the 1800s, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc collected it and put it into windows in the chevet.

"Infance of Christ", (12th c., Axis chapel)
Detail from the 12th century Life of Christ window, Axis chapel
Detail of "Infance of Christ", Suger at the Feet of Christ (12th c.)

Original glass includes a figure of Suger kneeling at Christ's feet. There's also the Tree of Jesse, which shows Christ's family tree. Other old pieces show "Allegories of Saint Paul" and "The Life of Moses." Another original piece shows mythical Griffons, symbols of Paradise.

Most of the current stained glass is from the 1800s. The architect François Debret designed the first new windows in the nave in 1813. These show the kings and queens of France. Later windows in the south transept show the church's restoration and a visit by King Louis Philippe I in 1837. These were designed by the painter Jean-Baptiste Debret, the architect's brother.

"Kings and Queens of France" (19th c.)
"The visit of King Louis-Philippe to Saint-Denis in 1837"

Sculpture

The new sculptures on the west front of Saint-Denis greatly influenced Gothic art. The tall, thin statues of Old Testament figures attached to the columns were copied by other cathedrals like Paris and Chartres. They became a common feature of Gothic doorways.

Detail of the north portal sculpture; the martyrdom of Saint Denis, Eleuthere and Rustique (12th c.)
Piedroits, or column statues, of the north portal. (12th c.)
Tomb of Clovis I and his son, Childebert I
Tomb of King Dagobert (13th century)
Memorial to King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, sculptures (1830) by Edme Gaulle and Pierre Petitot
Ementrude of Orleans, wife of Charles II of France
Bust of Charles V of France
Battle scene on the tomb of François I (16th c.)

The statues on the Portal of Valois, made in 1175, have very long and expressive figures. They also had a big impact on Gothic sculpture.

Above the doorways, the central carved area (tympanum) showed Christ in Majesty. Scenes from the martyrdom of Saint Denis were carved above the south portal. Very little of the original sculpture remains today. Most of what you see is from restorations in 1839. Some original pieces are in a museum.

Choir Stalls

The choir stalls are seats for the clergy. They have very detailed carvings, especially on the misericords. These are small ledges on each seat where clergy could rest while standing for long periods. The stalls were made in the 1500s.

The choir stalls (16th c.)
Detail of carving and marquetry of the choir stalls
Misericord on a choir stall

In 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to add three new chapels to Saint-Denis. He also created a group of bishops under his uncle, Cardinal Fesch. The stalls were moved to Saint-Denis for their use. Besides the carvings, the stalls are decorated with colorful religious scenes made of different woods (marquetry).

Organ

The organ is located at the west end of the main hall. An organ has been in the basilica since at least 1520. The current organ was built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1843. He was only 23 years old, and this was his first organ. It helped start his career as a famous organ maker.

The organ of the cathedral (19th c.)
Detail of the organ decoration

This organ has many new features from the Romantic period of music. It has three keyboards for hands and one for feet. It is protected as a historic monument. It was restored several times. Pierre Pincemaille was the main organist for 30 years and recorded many CDs using this instrument.

Treasury

The cathedral once had a huge collection of valuable items, called a treasury. Much of it was put together by Abbot Suger. It included crowns (like those of Charlemagne and Saint Louis), a cross, and other religious objects.

Burials of French Royalty

Charles I of Naples (or Anjou)

Tomb of Charles Martel

Henry I in background, Robert II, John I d. 1316 and Jeanne d. 1349

At top are Effigies on the tomb of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici, carved by Germain Pilon

Drawing of tomb of Henry II and his wife, showing the Effigies at top and the double tomb below

Tombs of Henry II of France and his wife Catherine de' Medici

Tomb of Leon V of Armenia

Tomb of Philip IV

(From left clockwise) Gisants Bertrand du Guesclin, Charles VI, Isabeau of Bavaria, Louis de Sancerre, Charles V, Jeanne de Bourbon

Almost all the kings of France were buried in the basilica. Only a few, like Charlemagne, are buried elsewhere. The remains of some early kings were moved here from other churches. Some of the most famous people buried in the basilica include:

Clovis I (466–511)
Dagobert I (603–639)
Charles Martel (686–741)
Pepin the Short (714–768)
Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald (823–877)
Hugh Capet (972–996), the first king of the Capetian dynasty
Louis VI of France (1081–1137)
Louis VII of France (1120–1180)
Philip II of France (1165–1223)
St. Louis IX of France (1214–1270)
Philip IV of France (1268–1314)
Louis XII of France (1462–1515)
Francis I of France (1494–1547)
Henry II (1519–1559) and Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589)
Henry IV (1553–1610)
Louis XIII (1601–1643)
Louis XIV (1638–1715)
Louis XV (1710–1774)
Louis XVI (1754–1793) and Marie Antoinette (1755–1793)
Louis XVII (1785–1795) (only his heart is here)
Louis XVIII (1755–1824)

Other important people buried here include:

Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669), wife of Charles I of Scotland and England
Maria Theresa of Spain (1638–1683), wife of Louis XIV
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne (1611–1675), a famous French general.

Timeline of Key Events

c. 250 AD – Saint Denis is martyred.
After 313 – The first basilica is built.
451–459 – Basilica is made larger by Saint Genevieve.
626–639 – Dagobert makes the church bigger. He is the first king buried here.
775 – A new church is dedicated with Charlemagne present.
1122–1151 – Suger is the Abbot of Saint-Denis.
1140–1144 – The east end is rebuilt with Gothic features.
1231 – The upper east end and the main hall (nave) are rebuilt.
1267 – Louis IX officially makes it the royal burial place.
1364 – Charles V of France orders his tomb to be built here.
1572 – Building begins on the tomb for the Valois family.
1771 – The statue-columns on the west front are removed.
1792 – The last church service by monks is held during the French Revolution.
1805 – Napoleon orders the church to be restored.
1813 – New restoration work begins by architect François Debret.
1845 – Debret's rebuilt north spire collapses. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc becomes the main architect.
1862 – The basilica is recognized as a French historical monument.
1966 – The basilica becomes the cathedral for the new area of Seine-Saint-Denis.
2004 – The heart of Louis XVII is moved to the chapel of the Bourbons.

Images for kids

The choir at sunset
The clerestory windows
Depiction of the Trinity over the main entrance
Fulrad, Abbot of Saint-Denis