The Basilica of St. Denis

Built on top of the tomb of St. Denis, a missionary bishop in the 3rd century, the Basilica of St. Denis is known for containing more than 70 recumbent statues and sculpted tombs. This is the final resting place of many French rulers and high-ranking figures, from Dagobert I (639) to Louis XVIII (1824), through Charles V, Francis I, Catherine de Medici, or Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, whose remains were transferred there in 1815.

The medieval recumbent statues and monumental tombs in this royal necropolis, which is a listed Historic Monument, form the biggest collection of funerary sculptures in Europe produced between the 12th and 16th centuries. This prestigious building is the final resting place of 43 kings, 32 queens, 60 princes and princesses, and 10 great servants of the monarchy. However, during the Revolution, the royal remains were exhumed and the bones removed from the tombs. Some magnificent funerary sculptures remain from this tumultuous past, and you can admire them during a visit.

Quite apart from this outstanding collection, the structure of the building is eye-catching in itself. The Basilica of St. Denis, elevated to the rank of cathedral in 1966, was designed by Abbot Suger, the kings' counsellor in the 12th century. It was completed in the 13th century, during the reign of St. Louis. It's an important example of the Gothic style, which puts light, a divine symbol, at the centre of religious buildings' architecture.

When you step inside, the 28-metre-high vaults make a dizzying impression. The exceptional stained glass windows, which are said to have cost more than the stone construction of the building, are among the oldest Gothic window in the world. Abbot Suger, who had modified the chevet and created an ambulatory with radiating chapels, called on the best master glassmakers in the region to create the stained glass for the large windows in the chapels. The coloured stained glass, which was very rare in the Middle Ages, bathes the tombs and walls in a unique light. The central element remains the southern rose window, a structure with a diameter of more than 14 metres. Said to have served as a model for Notre-Dame in Paris, its wheel of light is adorned with angels and the twelve signs of the zodiac.

The basilica's crypt, said to contain the remains of the martyr St. Denis, is the oldest part of the building. As for the medieval garden at the foot of the basilica's chevet, it offers an ideal place for introspection and has a range of medicinal plants.

In June every year, the basilica cathedral hosts the famous Saint-Denis Festival, with its big classical music concerts.