Paris Saint-Denis

North of the 18 ème and easily accessible by metro, the town of St-Denis is most noted for its stunning 12th-century basilica that has served for centuries as the spiritual home and final resting place of French royalty. The basilica is an architectural marvel—especially in comparison to the rather grubby modern buildings beside it. The town itself has little else to offer in the way of tourist sights, and if you’re looking for a bite to eat, you’ll find plenty of fast-food outlets and cheap eats but not much in the way of fine dining. Its most recent claim to fame was as the venue for the 1998 World Cup, which necessitated the construction of a new 75,000-seat stadium that today hosts rock concerts and sporting events. An open-air market is held three times a week (Tu, F, Su) in the square by the Hôtel-de-Ville (on the way from the metro stop to the basilica).

Practical Information. The most direct route to St-Denis is by metro (Basilique St-Denis, line 13); visitors headed to the stadium should take the RER (RER Stade de France, line B5 or RER St-Denis, line D1). The tourist office, 1, rue de la République, has English-speaking guides, info on the basilica and the town of St-Denis, maps, suggested walks, restaurant guides, and a ticket outlet for events in the Stade de France. From the metro, take exit 1; turn left down r. Jean Jaurès, following the signs to the tourist office; and turn right on r. de la République. (☎01 55 87 08 70; www.ville-saint-denis.fr. Open daily Apr.-Sept. 1am-1pm and 2-4pm; Oct.-Mar. 10am-2pm.)

Basilique De St-Denis. Surrounded by modern buildings, markets, and non-Christian communities, the Basilique de St-Denis stands as an anachronistic and archaic symbol of the French monarchy. Buried in the transept, crevet, and crypt are the remains of three royal families (the Capets, the Valois, and the Bourbons), 41 kings, 32 queens, 63 princes and princesses, 10 dignitaries, and the relics of three saints. During the height of the French monarchy, the basilica acted as the national church, housing political artifacts like the Oriflamme (the royal banner) and coronation paraphernalia.

St. Denis, Paris's first bishop, was martyred by the Romans in AD 260 for trying to Christianize the city. After being beheaded on Mt. Mercury, which was renamed Montmartre ("Mount of the Martyr;") in his honor, he allegedly picked up his head and walked north with it to the church. His tragic tale is told in stained glass on the northern side of the nave. King Pepin the Short turned it into a larger basilica to accommodate the many pilgrimages to this site. Denis has been joined by the royal remains of Clovis, François I, Catherine de Medicis, Anne d’Autriche, Louis XIV, Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette.

The basilica’s 12th-century ambulatory was the first appearance of Gothic architecture in Europe (the scornful term “Gothic” was coined by Italian critics to describe St-Denis’s extravagant style). Nicknamed “Lucerna” (Latin for “lantern”) for its luminosity, the basilica features enormous stained-glass windows, high vaults, and exceptionally wide, airy transepts. These and other innovations were ordered by St-Denis’s great patron, Abbot Suger (1122-1151), an influential clergyman and politician. Dissatisfied with the dark interiors of Romanesque churches, Abbot Suger famously began rebuilding the basilica in 1136 to open it to the “uninterrupted light of the divine.”

Suger’s shocked contemporaries worked to outdo him in technical brilliance, building ever more intricate interiors, larger stained-glass windows, and loftier vaults. But few were able to rival the luminous eastern end of the church: Suger’s celebrated, color-flooded crevet. Dubbed the “manifesto” of the new Gothic style, the crevet was built to displace the crowds of pilgrims, which became so immense that, as rumor has it, some would faint and even suffocate in the tiny, air-deprived vault. The crevet is still home to some of the finest stained glass in France, with wall-to-wall ripple effects and intricate patterns.

Suger died in 1151, well before the basilica was finished, but he had already established it as France’s seat of theological power. Several queens were crowned here, and in 1593, underneath the nave, Henri IV converted to Catholicism (see Life and Times). With such a royalist pedigree, St-Denis made a prime target for the wrath of the Revolution. Tombs were destroyed, windows were shattered, and the remains of the Bourbon royal family were thrown into a ditch. With the restoration of the monarchy in 1815, Louis XVIII ordered the re-establishment of the necropolis, and Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were buried here with great pomp in 1819. Louis XVIII also retrieved the Bourbons’ remains, placing them in a small ossuary in the crypt, and replaced the original tombs and funerary monuments. (1, rue de la Légion d’Honneur and 2, rue de Strasbourg. From the metro, head toward the town square on rue Jean Jaurès and turn left at the tourist office on rue de la République. ☎01 48 09 83 54. Open Apr.-Sept. M-Sa 10am-6:30pm, Su and holidays noon-6:30pm; Oct.-Mar. M-Sa 10am-4:30pm, Su noon-4:30pm. Last entry 30min. before closing. Admission to nave, side aisles and chapels free. Transept, ambulatory, and crypt €6.50, ages 18-25 €4.50, under 18 and first Su of month from Nov.-Mar. free. Open daily Apr.-Sept. 10am-5:45pm; Oct.-Mar. 10am-4:45pm. Enter through the right fence gate of the basilica and go to the ticket kiosk. Audioguide in various languages €4, 2 people €6. Tours in French M-Sa 11:15am, 3pm; Su 12:15, 3pm. Mass M-Sa 9am, Su 8:30, 10am, and 6pm.)

Musée D’Art Et D’Histoire. Located in a former convent (the nuns’ cells are still intact), the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire features exhibits on daily life in medieval St-Denis and on the convent’s most famous resident, Mme Louise. The interesting array of religious paraphernalia, archaeological finds, and historical artifacts is especially notable for the impressive collection of documents from the Paris Commune of 1871. A small room on the second floor in the far corner has been made into a literary shrine to the famous early 20th-century poet Paul Eluard. (22bis, r. Gabriel Péri. Walk down r. de la République away from the basilica and then take the first left onto r. Gabriel Péri. The road forks left; follow signs. ☎01 42 43 05 10; www.musee-saint-denis.fr. First floor wheelchair accessible. Open M, W, and F 10am-5:30pm, Th 10am-8pm, Sa-Su 2-6:30pm. €4; students, seniors, and Su €2; under 16 and first Su of month free.)