Basilica St Denis

This church was built on the site where the decapitated St Denis carried his head all the way here from Montmartre. This current church was built over the old church and marked the beginning of the Gothic architecture. It was completed in 1135. It is the final resting place of the kings and queens of France since 639 AD. 

There is only one tower remaining

This church is home to the largest collection of effigy tombs from 12th to 16th century. A tomb effigy is a sculpted life size  figure of the deceased, usually in a recumbent position (gisant in french). These tombs depict the comtemporary costumes, armour and ornaments worn at the time and as such are valuable to historians. 

Tomb of Louis XIV

Tomb of Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne

Tomb of Henri II and Catherine de Medici

Tomb of Dagobert I

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Basilica St Denis is certainly a great museum of tomb effigy