St. Denis Basilica/Basilique St. Denis, France

The following photos of St. Denis are by Narayan Sengupta. Saint Denis is just north of Paris. It is the world's first Gothic building and it is also where all of the monarchs of France with a few exceptions such as Charlemagne are buried. Here are some photos I took of it.


Today St. Denis is a non-chalant suburb north of Paris. This is looking back along the main drag as I walked in the direction of St. Denis which is to my back in this photo.


I believe that this is the local Hotel de Ville (City Hall). St. Denis is slightly visible in the shadows, to the right.


And here is my first real photo of the Basilica. It's hard to believe that something that looks this humble from the outside will look so stunning on the inside. But this is it. This is THE origination point of Gothic Architecture. Photo 431


The facade is more Romanesque than anything else...


Photo: 413 Front facade / west elevation of Basilica St. Denis.


415 - North elevation for this and the next few photos; here is where the building really starts to look Gothic.


Photo: 416 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 417 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 418 These sculptures are on the north elevation if I remember correctly. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 420 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 422 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 423 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 424 Detail of the martyred St. Denis carrying his own head from Montmartre (in Paris) to here, where he collapsed and finally died and where the Basilica St. Denis was thus built in his honor.


Photo: 436 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 426 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 427 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 428 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 429 Jeanne D'Arc/Joan of Arc stopped at the Basilica St. Denis on September 13, 1429.


Photo: 430 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 431 Beautiful Model of the Basilica St. Denis; note the North Tower is now missing.


Photo: 435 Rose petal window - Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 437 Rose petal window - Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 438 Rose petal window - north (?) transcept - Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 439 Sculptures/sarcophogi of the Kings and Queens of France located near the entrance at the south transcept. Their actual tombs are one floor below in the crypt. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 440 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 441 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 442 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 443 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 446 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 447 Basilica St. Denis.


448 - No, it's not a distortion in the photo. The vaults are asymetric.


Photo: 449 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 450 Detail of sarcophagus - Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 451 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 452 One of my favorite photos. The sun was peeping out for a few moments when I shot this. It is rare to find such a large swatch of stain glasses intact. Go to Notre Dame of Paris, for instance, and it's rare to see a view like this. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 453 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 456 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 457 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 458 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 459 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 460 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 461 Berthe, wife of Pepin. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 462 Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette at the Basilica St. Denis.


463 - Marie Antoinette; she brought croissants to France.


Photo: 464 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 466 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 468 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 470 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 472 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 476 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 479 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 480 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 482 Catherine de Medici. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 484 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 485 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 487 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 488 A younger Catherine de Medici and Francois I perhaps? The sculpture of the king is very moving. He appears to be in great agony and the body is full of tension and frozen in mid-flex. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 489 Yes, that's grafitti. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 490 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 491 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 495 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 496 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 497 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 498 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 499 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 500 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 501 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 502 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 503 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 504 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 505 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 506 The crypts of the Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 507 Crypt with detail of tomb of Louis XVIII - last king of France - who was in power between Napoleon and Napoleon III. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 509 Louis XIV - Sun King; Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 510 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 512 South elevation looking toward the west elevation and the remaining tower on the facade. Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 513 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 516 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 517 Basilica St. Denis.


Photo: 518 Basilica St. Denis.