Basilica of Saint-Denis: Royal Necropolis of France, Tickets, Opening Hours and Access

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis, just outside Paris, is open Monday to Saturday from 10am and on Sunday from 12pm; admission costs €17 and is free for under-26s who live in the European Union. In the 12th century Abbot Suger had a façade and choir built here that launched Gothic architecture. The church holds the necropolis of the kings of France, with more than 70 recumbent effigies from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. It has also been the cathedral of the Saint-Denis diocese since 1966.

Highlights

The west façade

From the outside, the 12th-century façade announces Gothic art with its three portals and rose window. The spire of one of the towers, taken down in the 19th century, is being rebuilt: the exhibition "The Spire Factory" presents the project.

The effigies of the royal necropolis

Kings, queens and princes lie beneath sculpted effigies dating from the 13th to the 16th century, including Philip III the Bold, Philip IV the Fair, and Henri II with Catherine de Medici. The tombs show how funerary art evolved in France.

The choir and stained glass

The 12th-century Gothic choir, completed under Suger, lets in light through tall windows. It is often cited among the first Gothic monuments.

The great organ

The Cavaillé-Coll organ is one of the basilica's instruments, and the church regularly hosts concerts.

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