Definition: The Basilique de St-Denis is the most recent structure of several churches built on the top of a Gallo-Roman cemetery where the early Christian martyr Saint Denis [died AD 250] is said to have been buried.
The first church was built by King Pepin the Short in AD 475; and much of the current Gothic structure was built during the 12th century at the behest of Abbot Suger. The basilica is most famous for several Frankish, Merovingian, and Carolingian kings and aristocrats buried beneath its floors, including Clovis, François I, Anne d'Autriche, Henri II, Catherine de Medici, Louis XIV, and Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.
The first church was built by King Pepin the Short in AD 475; and much of the current Gothic structure was built during the 12th century at the behest of Abbot Suger. The basilica is most famous for several Frankish, Merovingian, and Carolingian kings and aristocrats buried beneath its floors, including Clovis, François I, Anne d'Autriche, Henri II, Catherine de Medici, Louis XIV, and Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.
Sources
For more on this fabulous church, see Jackie Craven's article on Gothic Architecture and St. Denis. For more on King Pepin and his family, see the Pippinids.This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
Also Known As: Lucerna, St. Denis' grave
