The Royal Women of the Basilica of St. Denis

Outside of the Basilica of St. Denis

Last weekend I went on a Groupon day trip to Paris. While the organisation around the trip left something to be desired, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I visited several places, and I will be posting them in several articles as I have MANY pictures. My first stop of the day was the Basilica of St. Denis, the traditional burial place of French kings and queens. The area is quite rough, and of course, the outside of the Basilica was under construction! It was a lot smaller than I expected it to be actually.

Inside the main area of the Basilica of St. Denis

The main area is free to visit, but the crypt costs 8,50 Euro. I didn’t think that was too bad. They have English language maps and folders available.

A small exhibition inside the Basilica

On the way to the necropolis

Construction was also happening inside, some tombs were partially blocked, but I did manage to see most of them.

Francis I (1494 – 1547) and Claude of France (1499 – 1524)

Charles, Duke of Orleans (1394 – 1465), Louis, Duke of Orleans (1372 – 1407), Valentine Visconti, Duchess of Orleans (1366 – 1408)  and Philippe, Count of Vertus (1396 – 1420)

Charles Martel (685 – 741), Clovis II (635 – 657), Isabella of Aragon (1247 – 1271), Philip IV (1268 – 1314) and Philip III (1245 – 1285)

Charles VI (1368 – 1422), Isabeau of Bavaria (1371 – 1435), Marie of Anjou (1404 – 1463), Charles VII (1403 – 1461) , Bertrand du Gueschlin (1320 – 1380) and Louis de Sancerre (1342 – 1402)

Charles V  (1338 – 1380) and Joanna of Bourbon (1338 – 1377)

Henry II (1519 – 1559)  and Catherine De’Medici (1519 – 1589)

Louis VI (1080 – 1137), Henry I (1008 – 1060), John I (the posthumous 1316), Joan of Valois (Queen of Navarre 1311 – 1349), Robert II (970 – 1032), Constance of Arles (984 – 1032) and Louis X (1289 – 1316)

Louis XII (1462 – 1515) and Anne of Brittany (1477 – 1514)

Louis of France 1244 – 1260 (son of Margaret of Provence and Louis IX) and Philippe of France (died 1235, son of Blanche of Castile and Louis VIII)

Blanche of France (died 1320), daughter of Margaret of Provence and Louis IX

Charles, Count of Valois (background 1270 – 1325),  Blanche of Navarre (1332 – 1398) and her daughter Joan of France (died 1371) by Philip VI. 

Unknown queen

Louis of France, Count of Evreux (died 1319) and Margaret of Artois (died 1311)

Clementia of Hungary  (1293 – 1328, Mother of John, the Posthumous)

Beatrice of Bourbon, Queen of Bohemia (died 1381)

Margaret of Flanders ( Died 1382, Margaret I, Countess of Burgundy) 

John II (1319 – 1364) and Philip VI (1293 – 1350)

Philip V (1294 – 1322), Jeanne d’Évreux (1307 – 1371), Charles IV (1294 – 1328) and Blanche of France  (1296 – 1326) daughter of the previous two)

Henry II and Catherine De’Medici 

Mary of Bourbon  1515 – 1538

Unknown princess 

Unknown princess

Charles II of Alençon (1297 – 1346) and Maria de La Cerda y de Lara (died 1379)

Statues of Louis XVI (1754 – 1793) and Marie-Antoinette (1755 – 1793)

Close-up 

The Chapel of the Princes

Louis XVII’s  heart (1784 – 1795)

Louis XVIII (1755- 1824)

Maria Theresa of Spain (1638 – 1683)

Henry IV (1553 – 1610)

Louise of France (1737 – 1787), Elisabeth of France (1764 – 1794), Adelaide of France (1732 – 1800), Victoire de France (1733 – 1799) and Charles de Valois (1573 – 1650)

Chapel of the Bourbons, Gaston of Orleans (1608 – 1660), Philip of Orleans (1674 – 1723), Louis XIV (1638 – 1715) and Marie De’Medici (1573 – 1642)

Marie Leszczyńska (1703 – 1768)

Left from top to bottom: Louise of Lorraine (1553 – 1601), Marie Antoinette and the empty grave of Charles X (1757 – 1836).

Right Top to bottom: Louis VII (1120 – 1180), Louis XVI and Louis XVIII (1755 – 1824)

Aregund, the wife of Clotaire I (515 – c580)

I was very overwhelmed by it all and I didn’t really want to leave. The Basilica is amazingly beautiful and the tombs are simply breathtaking. If you’re ever in Paris, I highly recommend going here. It’s very easy to get to, it’s on the second to last stop on line 13 to St.Denis Université and is on the edge of zone 3 so you can use the Paris Visité zone 1-3 pass.