圣丹尼教堂
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圣丹尼教堂印象
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Imagine hatred so virulent that you would dig up the ancestors of your enemy, defile their graves and bury them in quicklime?That's what happened in the French Revolution when a mob descended on the Basilica of St. Denis in the northern portion of Paris. For nearly a 1,000 years since before Charlemagne, the French monarchy had buried its dead in this gorgeous Gothic cathedral. The cathedral is, in fact, the first great Gothic church in Europe, one whose beauty and elegance inspired a sacred "arms race" among the cities and prosperous towns of Europe to build equally-elaborate (and especially, more-elaborate) spires and flying buttresses.By 1789, things in France had deteriorated to the point that peasants were starving while the upper classes lived in gaudy excess. After the Revolution, the trappings of the aristocracy were destroyed or sold off for the people, including the contents of royal homes like Versailles. At St. Denis, nearly a thousand years of history were undone when the tombs of the royals were opened and their corpses buried in a pit outside the cathedral in quick lime.Visiting the Basilica today is not only a lesson in history, but a chance to get away from the "Disneyland" atmosphere of downtown Paris. The Metro line that goes there gradually transforms from mostly affluent, white riders to a rainbow of diversity and demographics closer to a college town (a branch of the University of Paris is cheek-by-jowl with the cathedral). The neighborhood around St. Denis is exceptionally diverse for Paris with many street stalls, beauty parlors specializing in non-white coiffures, and foods more familiar to North Africa than the Cordon Bleu. My wife and I loved our visit, as the surrounding community is such a contrast to what you see along the boulevards near the Seine.
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St. Denis is easily reached on the Metro 13 subway line off the Basilica St. Denis stop (note that this end of the 13 subway line has trains going to two different points - be sure you get on a train to St. Denis - Universite. Coming out of the subway turn left, walk past the open square flea market and you will reach the cathedral with just 3 - 5 minutes of walking.Currently the cathedral is partially covered with scaffolding and two of the three rose windows are out. The main body of the cathedral is open without charge. There is a fee to access the areas of the church holding the tombs of the French kings. (Exit the side door on the right to reach the ticket booth and then re-enter just past the ticket booth to access the area of the tombs.)I visited on a Tuesday in January and there were no more than 15 people in the cathedral - a nice change from the Notre Dame and St. Chapelle crowds.
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Indeed an interesting thing to see when you have seen most of Paris already. At the outskirts of the city, in a poor neighbourhood, where white people where about 10% of the population. Especially the graves of the kings are impressive, but the basilica is a grand building by itself.
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I'd long wanted to visit this this church but never quite found the time before. it easily exceeded my expectations as the building, the glass, and the tombs of French royalty were all fantastic.
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The Bascilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis is a lovely stop, if somewhat out of the way. My husband and I are church architecture geeks, so we wanted to make sure to hit this one. The facade was under restoration when we visited, which was very disappointing. Confusingly, this structure is both the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Paris and a national museum. We entered the parish church first, making our way under the scaffolding and being greeted by a small adoration chapel and the nave which was darkened due to the construction work around the building. Exploring the space, we were greeted with a hidden gem. Tucked away in a side room off the parish nave we discovered a hidden gem; the coronation robes of the French kings. These gorgeously intricate robes were well displayed so that you could see the bouillon embroidery and almost feel their richness and weight. We realized we could not access the necropolis from the nave, and quickly found the side entrance to this attraction. The necropolis is included with the Paris Museum Pass. Since we were short on both time and funds, we opted not to rent the audio guide, but I would recommend doing so. The signage is largely in French with only a few English translations scattered about. The French kings are entombed here, from Clovis I through Louis XVIII, with the notable exception of Charlamagne who is buried in Aechen Cathedral, along with many other members of the royal family. The result is a collection of funerary art that spans a millennium and offers a glimpse into the evolution of art, religion, and even monarchy during that time. The graves are gathered in the ambulatory behind and surrounding the altar. Through side stairways, you descend to the crypt level where more graves may be found, largely those of the House of Bourbon. Also found down here is the ancient Roman cemetery wherein Saint Denis was buried. Seeing those rough stone sarcophagi contrasted with the ornate statuary above was striking indeed.This stop was certainly worth the time and effort it took to get out there. Whether you are interested in art or architecture, there is certainly something for everyone in this beautiful Gothic church. I look forward to a return visit where we can see the true majesty of this gem, restored to its glory. Highly recommended.
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The Basilique de Saint-Denis in the north of Paris is one of the "must-see" attractions when you visit this city. It is a fairly long Metro ride on line 13 that runs through Paris from Châtillon-Montrouge in the south all the way north to St.Denis Université, and you get off at Basilique de St. Denis, the stop before the end of the line. It is worthwhile to enter this sanctuary that was built in the 12th Century, a place where Joan of Arc prayed, and a mausoleum where the kings and queens of France found their resting place. All the way from the kings of the middle ages to Louis XVIII are buried there. Unfortunately, during the French Revolution, many tombs were desecrated, but with the return of the monarchy in 1814, Louis XVIII saw to it that many were repaired and prepared his own tomb. Charles X, his brother and the last Bourbon king of France, is buried in Gorizia, Slovenia, not in St. Denis. But it is a real treat to see the numerous tombs and formidable marble statues that have been maintained for many centuries in excellent condition.
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I confess that I wasn't that thrilled to visit this church, since Paris have churches everywhere and this one is a little out of the way. But the trip (a simple one, using the Metro) was worth it! The basilique is fantastic in every sense, from it's age to the marvelous sculptures, from the nave to the crypts. If you like arts, history or just a beautiful middle-age building, do yourself a favor and don't miss the opportunity.
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This was my second trip to St Denis, the other being in 1972 using "Europe on $5 a Day" as my guide, and a great guide it was. The cathedral is stunning, with a lot of violet and blue stained glass, much more of these colors than most cathedrals. I believe it is the first gothic church in France and beautiful outside as well, though mostly covered with scaffolding as seems to be the norm. The effigies and statues are fascinating and you can spend several hours there and there is a friendly tourist office a few steps away. The only disappoint, and it was major for me, was that they have blocked access to Francois I's tomb and effigy, and it was a real highlight back in the day, with his majesty flat on his back, starkers, with his hands over his privates. Now there are so many railings that you can't get a frontal view nor one from above, and the best you get is his bare feet! I wasn't the only one disappointed; there were several French ladies craning their necks and trying really hard to get a look. There is one similar of Henri II, equally covered. It was sad because it was such a striking image that it was one thing I remembered about Paris all these years.
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If you grew up reading "The Accursed Kings", "Medici Poison Garden", "Eleanor de Aquintaine, even "Game of Thrones" or anything related to European history, you would be ecstatic from visiting the final resting grounds of all of the French monarchs. You would be awed from gazing upon beautiful rose windows, graceful arches and wooden gothic art. I was glad that it was the first cathedral that we saw in France . . . for as the days went by, I started to mix names and places, but I had the image of St. Denis to compare to all the rest. Side Note: if you're not visiting with the tour group, do not be afraid when you exit the metro and find yourself in the middle of middle eastern market - the Cathedral is only a min walk away. We were given wrong direction, for some unexplained reason . . . and several store owners told us that they do not even know what St. Denis is located (I presume out of spite, or some sort of joke) - "Even if you show them the picture" - so do not loose courage . . . keep asking and someone will be nice enough to point you the right way. I would suggest French authorities to increase the police presence around this valuable basilica, just like their presence was greatly valued around many other museums and tourist attractions.
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The town of Saint Denis lies 9.4 kilometers (5.8 Miles) north of Paris and is reachable by the No. 13 Metro line which is about a 35 minute ride. Do however make sure that you go in the direction of Saint Denis Universite (University) as the line divides in two and this direction is the one which will halt at the Saint Denis Basilica station. I recommend that you buy a day ticket (Mobilis) at your setting off point in Paris. It will cost you €7.50: these day tickets are sold by zones, and Saint Denis falls in Zone 3. The Basilica is close to the station - you can see its steeple when you stand on the square in front of the station.Visiting the nave of the Basilica is free, but you have to pay €8.50 to enter the crypt where the tombs are of France's Monarchs and their spouses. You will see among others those of Louis 16 and Marie Antoinette, and you will see the heart of their little son, Louis-Charles who had died in prison in Paris at the age of 10, his parents having been guillotined.The town of Saint Denis has a reputation of not being 'classy', but you can believe me when I tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the town. I spent a delightful afternoon walking around it. You can also have a walk through the Legion of Honor Park which adjoins the Basilica.The town is also good for shopping as everything costs just that little less in Saint Denis than in Paris. You can also walk to the nearby Stade de France sports stadium, just to have a look at it of course. The stadium is alongside the Saint Denis Canal where you can board a river boat for a short sail. Or you can buy a sandwich in town and, weather permitting, sit alongside the canal for a picnic lunch.I highly recommend Saint Denis and a visit to the Basilica. You will not be disappointed. Give yourself half a day at least for such a visit.There is a warning though: the Metro train is always a little on the crowded side.