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Built on a Gallo-Roman cemetery and the burial site of Saint-Denis, parts of the former abbey date back to 1231. The imposing high-vaulted ceiling and stunning stained-glass windows with two beautiful rose windows are a sight in themselves, but what makes this church so special is that it doubles as the necropolis of French royalty.
In total 42 kings, 32 queens, and 63 princess and princesses are entombed here, some with breathtakingly elaborate tombs and sarcophagi. Everybody who was anybody is buried here: from Clovis I (466-511), Pepin the Short (714-768), Isabella of Aragon (1248-1271), Anne of Brittany (1477-1514) who was married to two kings, Henry II (1519-1559) and his wife Catherine de Medici (1519-1589), to Louis XIV (1638-1715) and Louis XVIII (1755-1824).
Down below in the crypt, you can also see the mummified heart of Louis XVII in a glass urn.
On the tombs, you can also spot dogs, dragons and plenty of lions if you look closely. The necropolis is considered the most important collection of funerary sculptures dating from the 12th to the 16th century. Also, visit this historic place to see the beginning of Gothic art.
Hours vary throughout the year with exceptional closings for certain religious celebrations, so please check the official website for the current opening times. Book now and embark on a tour through the french royal history !
Your page list the hours as Mon-Sat: 10:00-18:15; Sun: 12:00-18:15. Those are the summer hours — they have different hours in the winter and they close earlier. (I’ll let you guess how I found that out. :-) )
You should either list the variable hours with their applicable dates, or — even better — just tell people to check the official site so you won’t have to worry about listing hours that might turn out to be out of date.
…doug
Bonjour Doug, Thanks so much for letting us know and for the suggestion! We’ll see about updating this and other reviews for places with variable hours ASAP!