圣丹尼教堂

The Basilique de Saint-Denis in the north of Paris is one of the "must-see" attractions when you visit this city. It is a fairly long Metro ride on line 13 that runs through Paris from Châtillon-Montrouge in the south all the way north to St.Denis Université, and you get off at Basilique de St. Denis, the stop before the end of the line. It is worthwhile to enter this sanctuary that was built in the 12th Century, a place where Joan of Arc prayed, and a mausoleum where the kings and queens of France found their resting place. All the way from the kings of the middle ages to Louis XVIII are buried there. Unfortunately, during the French Revolution, many tombs were desecrated, but with the return of the monarchy in 1814, Louis XVIII saw to it that many were repaired and prepared his own tomb. Charles X, his brother and the last Bourbon king of France, is buried in Gorizia, Slovenia, not in St. Denis. But it is a real treat to see the numerous tombs and formidable marble statues that have been maintained for many centuries in excellent condition.

I'd long wanted to visit this this church but never quite found the time before. it easily exceeded my expectations as the building, the glass, and the tombs of French royalty were all fantastic.

There's a saying from my country "if you are ashame to ask, you'll be lost on your way". Well, the basilique isclose to the metro station, however, there arelots of roads, which if you mistakenly take, you'll be lost. So, make sure you ask the locals (most of them could speak only french) or bring yourself a map, or turn on your google maps. it took 15-20 minutes walking from metro station to the basilique. When i came there it was covered by scaffoldings. it was indeed under restoration. but it didnt't decrease its beauty. To enter the basilique is free, but to enter the mausoleum, you need to pay some euros. I entered the mausoleum freely with my 2-days Paris Museum Pass (it was really helpful).The impression when i first entered the basilique was unexplicable. The atmosphere was chill and calm, but somehow soothing in a terrifying means. Well, no wonder, most of kings, queens, princes and princesses were burried here. The architecture was really magnificent. you will find 3 grand crypt with great ornaments (the great kings and queens's) when you enter the main hall, surrounded by smaller ones. On the back of the altar you will find the explanations about the patron of the basilique, the Saint Dennis, which was said after he was decapitated, he walked and carried his own severed head all along. There were also the marble statue of Louis XVI and his famous consort, Marie Antoinette on their praying position. Underneath the altar, there was a grotto/underground burial, mostly noteable by me were the burials of Louis XIV's, and his consort Marie Therese's, some nobility's, killed during the reign of terror of French History, the mumified heart placed in glass jar of Louis XVII (son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette), and the Louis XVI's, Marie Antoinette's and Louis XVIII's. The air there were more soothing than the air above.Above all, you have the history on your face, once you step in the Basilique.

The town of Saint Denis lies 9.4 kilometers (5.8 Miles) north of Paris and is reachable by the No. 13 Metro line which is about a 35 minute ride. Do however make sure that you go in the direction of Saint Denis Universite (University) as the line divides in two and this direction is the one which will halt at the Saint Denis Basilica station. I recommend that you buy a day ticket (Mobilis) at your setting off point in Paris. It will cost you €7.50: these day tickets are sold by zones, and Saint Denis falls in Zone 3. The Basilica is close to the station - you can see its steeple when you stand on the square in front of the station.Visiting the nave of the Basilica is free, but you have to pay €8.50 to enter the crypt where the tombs are of France's Monarchs and their spouses. You will see among others those of Louis 16 and Marie Antoinette, and you will see the heart of their little son, Louis-Charles who had died in prison in Paris at the age of 10, his parents having been guillotined.The town of Saint Denis has a reputation of not being 'classy', but you can believe me when I tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the town. I spent a delightful afternoon walking around it. You can also have a walk through the Legion of Honor Park which adjoins the Basilica.The town is also good for shopping as everything costs just that little less in Saint Denis than in Paris. You can also walk to the nearby Stade de France sports stadium, just to have a look at it of course. The stadium is alongside the Saint Denis Canal where you can board a river boat for a short sail. Or you can buy a sandwich in town and, weather permitting, sit alongside the canal for a picnic lunch.I highly recommend Saint Denis and a visit to the Basilica. You will not be disappointed. Give yourself half a day at least for such a visit.There is a warning though: the Metro train is always a little on the crowded side.

St. Denis is easily reached on the Metro 13 subway line off the Basilica St. Denis stop (note that this end of the 13 subway line has trains going to two different points - be sure you get on a train to St. Denis - Universite. Coming out of the subway turn left, walk past the open square flea market and you will reach the cathedral with just 3 - 5 minutes of walking.Currently the cathedral is partially covered with scaffolding and two of the three rose windows are out. The main body of the cathedral is open without charge. There is a fee to access the areas of the church holding the tombs of the French kings. (Exit the side door on the right to reach the ticket booth and then re-enter just past the ticket booth to access the area of the tombs.)I visited on a Tuesday in January and there were no more than 15 people in the cathedral - a nice change from the Notre Dame and St. Chapelle crowds.

If we remember that the nation's history in the past was tightly linked to its rulers, here at Saint Denis we can follow the entire history line of France from the 5th to the 19th centuries in one single church. The stories about the revolutionaries destroying the royal graves, and later the bones being returned in an ossuary by the next generations, or the ashes of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette being buried here by their descendant Louis XVIII, after their bodies were dumped in quicklime near Place de la Concorde where they were guillotined, become more palpable when you see their resting places in front of you. From artistic point, I personally prefer beautiful art to the funerary, but they say that this is the greatest collection of the later. The church itself is also a real gem - with the stained glass windows you get a sense of magic. Well worth a visit and easily accessible with Metro line 13.

Or at least their tombs and burial statues. Read the history of the site before going, it will make a difference in how you understand the site.

The Bascilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis is a lovely stop, if somewhat out of the way. My husband and I are church architecture geeks, so we wanted to make sure to hit this one. The facade was under restoration when we visited, which was very disappointing. Confusingly, this structure is both the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Paris and a national museum. We entered the parish church first, making our way under the scaffolding and being greeted by a small adoration chapel and the nave which was darkened due to the construction work around the building. Exploring the space, we were greeted with a hidden gem. Tucked away in a side room off the parish nave we discovered a hidden gem; the coronation robes of the French kings. These gorgeously intricate robes were well displayed so that you could see the bouillon embroidery and almost feel their richness and weight. We realized we could not access the necropolis from the nave, and quickly found the side entrance to this attraction. The necropolis is included with the Paris Museum Pass. Since we were short on both time and funds, we opted not to rent the audio guide, but I would recommend doing so. The signage is largely in French with only a few English translations scattered about. The French kings are entombed here, from Clovis I through Louis XVIII, with the notable exception of Charlamagne who is buried in Aechen Cathedral, along with many other members of the royal family. The result is a collection of funerary art that spans a millennium and offers a glimpse into the evolution of art, religion, and even monarchy during that time. The graves are gathered in the ambulatory behind and surrounding the altar. Through side stairways, you descend to the crypt level where more graves may be found, largely those of the House of Bourbon. Also found down here is the ancient Roman cemetery wherein Saint Denis was buried. Seeing those rough stone sarcophagi contrasted with the ornate statuary above was striking indeed.This stop was certainly worth the time and effort it took to get out there. Whether you are interested in art or architecture, there is certainly something for everyone in this beautiful Gothic church. I look forward to a return visit where we can see the true majesty of this gem, restored to its glory. Highly recommended.

The Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis is located about 8 miles directly north of central Paris in the suburbs of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It is also about 2 miles north of France's national football and rugby stadium, the Stade de France (the Metro must be packed on a game day so I would not visit Saint-Denis on those days). The main attraction inside the Cathedral is the historic and fantastic necropolis where 42 French kings and 32 queens are buried along with 63 princes and princesses.I went on a Saturday afternoon in early November with my wife and really enjoyed visiting both the Cathedral and the necropolis. The Cathedral is free to visit but you have to buy a ticket to the necropolis. Finding it is not hard as you just take the 13 Metro line to the Basilique de St-Denis stop (then just exit the Metro and go about 100 yards). I recommend taking the audio guide tour but it is long in parts (I skipped over several sections). There was not much to look at from the outside as they are doing renovations (cleaning??) and most of the exterior was covered by scaffolding and tarps. There was absolutely no line to get in and there were not many visitors inside (this was a nice change from the main tourist attractions in central Paris). Most kings and queens were buried in individual cadaver tombs with sculptures of them lying on top. While I really enjoyed looking at the cadaver tombs, I was disappointed to learn that the royal bodies were taken out and buried in a mass grave during the French Revolution (the bones were subsequently reburied in an ossuary in the Cathedrals crypt).Overall I really enjoyed the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis and the fantastic and historic necropolis and highly recommend it. This is a must see attraction for any history buff. This historic building reminded me of Westminster Abbey in London.

Indeed an interesting thing to see when you have seen most of Paris already. At the outskirts of the city, in a poor neighbourhood, where white people where about 10% of the population. Especially the graves of the kings are impressive, but the basilica is a grand building by itself.

This was my second trip to St Denis, the other being in 1972 using "Europe on $5 a Day" as my guide, and a great guide it was. The cathedral is stunning, with a lot of violet and blue stained glass, much more of these colors than most cathedrals. I believe it is the first gothic church in France and beautiful outside as well, though mostly covered with scaffolding as seems to be the norm. The effigies and statues are fascinating and you can spend several hours there and there is a friendly tourist office a few steps away. The only disappoint, and it was major for me, was that they have blocked access to Francois I's tomb and effigy, and it was a real highlight back in the day, with his majesty flat on his back, starkers, with his hands over his privates. Now there are so many railings that you can't get a frontal view nor one from above, and the best you get is his bare feet! I wasn't the only one disappointed; there were several French ladies craning their necks and trying really hard to get a look. There is one similar of Henri II, equally covered. It was sad because it was such a striking image that it was one thing I remembered about Paris all these years.

I confess that I wasn't that thrilled to visit this church, since Paris have churches everywhere and this one is a little out of the way. But the trip (a simple one, using the Metro) was worth it! The basilique is fantastic in every sense, from it's age to the marvelous sculptures, from the nave to the crypts. If you like arts, history or just a beautiful middle-age building, do yourself a favor and don't miss the opportunity.

Imagine hatred so virulent that you would dig up the ancestors of your enemy, defile their graves and bury them in quicklime?That's what happened in the French Revolution when a mob descended on the Basilica of St. Denis in the northern portion of Paris. For nearly a 1,000 years since before Charlemagne, the French monarchy had buried its dead in this gorgeous Gothic cathedral. The cathedral is, in fact, the first great Gothic church in Europe, one whose beauty and elegance inspired a sacred "arms race" among the cities and prosperous towns of Europe to build equally-elaborate (and especially, more-elaborate) spires and flying buttresses.By 1789, things in France had deteriorated to the point that peasants were starving while the upper classes lived in gaudy excess. After the Revolution, the trappings of the aristocracy were destroyed or sold off for the people, including the contents of royal homes like Versailles. At St. Denis, nearly a thousand years of history were undone when the tombs of the royals were opened and their corpses buried in a pit outside the cathedral in quick lime.Visiting the Basilica today is not only a lesson in history, but a chance to get away from the "Disneyland" atmosphere of downtown Paris. The Metro line that goes there gradually transforms from mostly affluent, white riders to a rainbow of diversity and demographics closer to a college town (a branch of the University of Paris is cheek-by-jowl with the cathedral). The neighborhood around St. Denis is exceptionally diverse for Paris with many street stalls, beauty parlors specializing in non-white coiffures, and foods more familiar to North Africa than the Cordon Bleu. My wife and I loved our visit, as the surrounding community is such a contrast to what you see along the boulevards near the Seine.

An easy Metro ride to the outskirts of Paris gets you a double treat. The first gothic church built in France by Abbot Suger in 1144, making extensive use of stained-glass windows to brighten the interior. And the burial place of French Kings and Queens. Unfortunately, restorations prevented a view of the western façade when we were there in mid-October, but the interior is both beautiful and historic. Many of the coffins no longer contain the actual bones of the royalty, as they were looted during the Revolution – although Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are in the crypt – but the sarcophaguses are well worth the visit.

If you grew up reading "The Accursed Kings", "Medici Poison Garden", "Eleanor de Aquintaine, even "Game of Thrones" or anything related to European history, you would be ecstatic from visiting the final resting grounds of all of the French monarchs. You would be awed from gazing upon beautiful rose windows, graceful arches and wooden gothic art. I was glad that it was the first cathedral that we saw in France . . . for as the days went by, I started to mix names and places, but I had the image of St. Denis to compare to all the rest. Side Note: if you're not visiting with the tour group, do not be afraid when you exit the metro and find yourself in the middle of middle eastern market - the Cathedral is only a min walk away. We were given wrong direction, for some unexplained reason . . . and several store owners told us that they do not even know what St. Denis is located (I presume out of spite, or some sort of joke) - "Even if you show them the picture" - so do not loose courage . . . keep asking and someone will be nice enough to point you the right way. I would suggest French authorities to increase the police presence around this valuable basilica, just like their presence was greatly valued around many other museums and tourist attractions.