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The Basilique Royal de Saint-Denis is the burial place of French royalty in Paris. It is a necropolis, a stunning edifice to the dead, full of hauntingly beautiful funeral sculptures, mausoleums, and tombs. In the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis, perhaps more than anywhere in Paris, the bloody power struggles of France resonate.

It is here that Paris tourists can view the encased, dried-up heart of Louis XVIII. In total 42 kings, 32 queens, 63 princes and princesses lie here. With more than 70 Renaissance tombs, the royal necropolis of the Basilique Royal de Saint-Denis asserts itself today as the most important group of funerary sculptures from the 12th to the 16th centuries.

The cathedral is built on the site of a Roman cemetery and the burial site of the martyr Denis, who was said to have walked through Paris carrying his own head. Many books have been written about the architecture of the building itself. This great historic building is something of a mecca for stained glass aficionados containing, as it does, some of the finest examples of medieval stained-glass in the world.

Paris Pass holders can explore this historic cathedral for FREE – saving over 6 Euros for an adult. In addition to Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis you can also visit over another 60 top museums, galleries, monuments and attractions in Paris. See more of this great city for less with a Paris Sightseeing Pass.

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