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Basilica of Saint-Denis

Also known as Abbey of Saint-Denis

The Basilica of Saint-Denis, north of Paris, began as the church of a royal abbey built over the tomb of Saint Denis, the 3rd-century first bishop of Paris. From the Merovingian period it enjoyed the patronage of the Frankish kings and became the burial place of the kings of France. Its rebuilding under Abbot Suger in the 1130s and 1140s is considered the beginning of Gothic architecture.

Basilica of Saint-Denis
Image: Thomas Clouet · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

NeustriaPrince-Abbey of CorveyDuchy of the Franks

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Basilica of Saint-Denis. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/basilica-of-saint-denis
MLA
“Basilica of Saint-Denis.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/basilica-of-saint-denis. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Basilica of Saint-Denis.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/basilica-of-saint-denis.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Basilica of Saint-Denis’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/basilica-of-saint-denis (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻