Euro Hotel Sovereign Saint Denis

The Evolution of Funerary Sculpture in St.-Denis

by hquittner

Funerary sculpture evolved rapidly between the 13 and 16C . In 1269 St. Louis (IX) reestablished St.-Denis as a royal mausoleum and tombs were created for all the royal remains that could be located and acquired. Initially idealized effigy figures on stone slabs were made for each person with perhaps a symbol at the feet , a crown and a scepter. By 1285 there was a demand for realism and real identity. This was achieved by death-masks and attempts at true body shapes. Such an example is the effigy of Betrand du Guesclin, who was short and heavily built (See Tips in Dinan). He had wished to be buried in Dinan but the King demanded his skeleton and it is here . During the Renaissance (especially the 16C), the cult of the individual became strong (and power and money emphasized that), leading to the commissioning of famous sculptors and architects and the creation of mausolea.(most of Michelangelo’s great sculptures are funereal). In the case of Catherine de Medici, 30 years before her death, she order a work by Germain Pilon. She fainted when she saw the effigy (in the tomb here) and ordered a new one, a collaboration of Pilon, Primaticcio and J. Ponce. Both versions are in St.-Denis.

The crypt - La cripta

by spanishguy

The crypt is placed under the Basilica's apse and it has some chapels with the most ancient tombs. There are some rooms at the right of the entrance where some kings are buried, amoung them Louis XVII, died in 1795 after years of tortures. His heart came to Saint Denis in 2004.

La cripta se encuentra bajo el ábside de la Basílica y tiene algunas capillas con las tumbas más antiguas. Hay algunas habitaciones a la derecha de la entrada donde hay algunos reyes enterrados, entre ellos Luis XVII, muerto en 1795 tras años de torturas. Su corazón llegó a Saint Denis en 2004.

Another interesting places - Otros lugares

by spanishguy

Faithfully I went to Saint Denis just to visit the Basilica, but once I was there I made a stroll around trying to see a bit more of this city. There are some buildings, like the School for the Legion of Honour, a building ordered by Napoleon to attend the children of whom who had been honoured in the Legion. One more building I liked the Art and History Museum. I didn't visited it because it was closed. In addition there are a nice chanel in town.

sSinceramente cuando fuí a Saint Denis era sólo para visitar la Basílica, pero una vez que estuve allí me dí un paseo para intentar descubrir algunas cosas más de la ciudad. Hay algunos edificios, como el Colegio de la Legión de Honor, un edificio creado por Napoleón para atender a los hijos de aquellos que había sido premiados con honores en la Legión. Otro edificio más es el del Museo de Arte e Historia, el cual no visité porque estaba cerrado. Además hay un canal bonito en la ciudad.

The crypt

by Diana75

In the crypt underneath the church the remains of the original building dating from the time of the Merovingians can be still seen.

It is believed that the tomb of Saint-Denis himself is here.

The famous chapel with the recuperated remains of French kings is closed.

Where kings and queens rest

by Mikebond

"Basilique de Saint-Denis"

The Basilique de Saint-Denis is one of the most famous French church, due to the role it played for centuries. Actually, it is here that French royals used to be crowned and buried and the tombs of the royals are the main attraction of the church.