Step inside the first Gothic cathedral in the world, and the final resting place of 43 kings, 32 queens and 10 servants to the monarchy, including Marie Antoinette. The Basilica of Saint Denis is a testament to French art and architecture, with over 70 statues and monumental tombs from the Renaissance!
43 kings, 32 queens and 10 servants to the monarchy were buried in the royal abbey of Saint-Denis, from King Dagobert in 639 AD, right up to royals in the 19th century. It sounds like a plot point from 'Game of Thrones', but it's just French history.
Built on the grave of Saint-Denis, a Bishop of Paris who died in 250 AD, this beautiful basilica became a cathedral in 1966.
See over 70 statues and monumental tombs from the Renaissance period, plus the biggest collection of funerary sculpture from the 12th to the 16th centuries, all within these walls.
A must-visit for French history lovers, there's lots to impress including the crypts - which are also now home to the tomb of Marie Antoinette.
