Basilica of Saint Denis, Paris

The first church was built in 475. It housed the tomb of Saint-Denis, who according to legend, carried his head there after he was beheaded. In the 12th Century, the first stone of the basilica was laid. Therein followed the construction of the nave and the chancel, which is decorated with ornate rose windows. This abbey is a prime example of Gothic architecture. At one time, all French monarchs were buried here. During the French Revolution, the Basilica of Saint Denis was pillaged and the bodies exhumed. The 13th and 14th-century funerary sculptures, and the archaeological and Roman crypts are remarkable.

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