The Journées du Patrimoine return to Paris and the Île-de-France region for the weekend of September 21 and 22, 2024 . Every year, this European cultural event invites you to take advantage of free tours and unique activities in museums, monuments and châteaux , as well as in places that are usually closed to the public. A rare opportunity to discover the secrets of the Paris region's heritage !
This time, we're taking you to Seine-Saint-Denis, to the town of Saint-Denis, home to one ofFrance' s most historic monuments: the Basilica of Saint-Denis , where the kings of France are laid to rest. Known as the necropolis of the kings, this basilica is a treasure trove ofGothic architecture.
Journées du Patrimoine 2024: discover the most beautiful churches in Paris and the Île-de-France region
Thanks to the Journées du Patrimoine 2024, churches, chapels and cathedrals in Paris and the Île-de-France region will be revealing their secrets this weekend, from September 21 to 22, 2024. [Read more]
The Journées du Patrimoine in Paris take place this weekend, from September 21 to 22, 2024. We invite you to discover the rare monuments from the Middle Ages that can still be seen in the capital, to discover medieval Paris. [Read more]
It stands on an ancient Gallo-Roman cemetery where Saint-Denis, the first bishop of Paris, is buried. Legend has it that he was beheaded on the Butte Montmartre. He then walked north, carrying his head, before stopping in front of a pious woman named Catulla. He gave her his head and collapsed. He was buried where the cathedral now stands, giving his name to the city of Saint-Denis.
The cathedral basilica of Saint-Denis, a former royal abbey, illuminated the artistic, political and spiritual history of the Middle Ages for centuries.
It stands on the site of the tomb of Denis, the first bishop of Paris, martyred around 250 AD. Abbot Suger, friend of King Louis VI, advisor to King Louis VII and regent of France for two years, had the Carolingian abbey rebuilt between 1135 and 1144. This year marks the 900th anniversary of his accession to the abbatiate on March 11, 1122. To mark the occasion, artist Nayel Zeaiter is presenting a 50-metre-long illustrated life of Abbé Suger in the chevet. This first monumental masterpiece of Gothic art was conceived as an immense reliquary dedicated to light, and destined to venerate the relics of Saint Denis. In 1231, Saint Louis completed the edifice. Nicknamed the "Lucerna", or lantern, because of its luminosity, the 13th-century basilica is a major work of Gothic art, with an exceptionally large transept designed to house the royal tombs. Having become one of the principal necropolises of Merovingian aristocrats and Carolingian sovereigns, the powerful Benedictine abbey definitively linked its destiny to that of royalty under the Capetians by becoming the burial place of the kings of France. 42 kings, 32 queens, 63 princes and princesses and 10 servants of the kingdom were buried here. The royal necropolis houses over 70 carved recumbent figures and tombs dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries, bearing witness to past grandeur and making this one of the most important funerary complexes in the world. In the crypt of the basilica, artist Olivier Darné presents two candle and light-making machines, combined with an exhibition on the uses and symbolism of light in churches before the advent of electricity.
Interested? Happy Heritage Days in Seine-Saint-Denis!
Dates and Opening Time
From September 21, 2024 to September 22, 2024
Location
Saint-Denis Basilica
1, Rue de la Légion d'Honneur
93200 Saint Denis
Prices
Free
Official website
www.saint-denis-basilique.fr
Journées du Patrimoine 2024: discover the most beautiful churches in Paris and the Île-de-France region
Heritage Days 2024 at medieval monuments in Paris and the Île-de-France region
