All You Ever Wanted To Know About Saint Denis
Paris Kiosque - November 1996 - Volume 3, Number 11
Copyright (c) November 1996 Jacqueline Donnelly - used with permission
You may pride yourself on your knowledge of Paris, the metro system and the
fine museums that you have visited, but do you know who is the patron
saint of those who suffer from headaches and dog bites? Of course you
do...it is Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris and its first martyr for
Christendom.
Saint Denis, it can be verified historically, was a missionary sent by the
early Christian church of Rome in 250 A.D to convert those Roman pagans who
had settled Paris. The Roman lifestyle was well established - chatting at
forums, taking thermal baths, constructing walls and bridges, and praying
to their many gods.
Denis and his companions, through their energy and sincerity, managed to
convert a significant number of inhabitants of Lutece, a.k.a. Paris, a
phenomenon which was not well received by the local authorities.
Governor Sisinnius Fesceninus ordered the trio to appear before him to
recant and submit to Roman authority.
Like all heroes of old, the three refused and were imprisoned and tortured
not far from the present flower market n the Ile de la Cite. Frustrated
that these Christians were steadfast in their religious commitment, the
governor ordered their execution at the temple of Mercury at the summit
of the highest hill in Paris.
The legionnaires set out with the condemned, and in their zeal, if not
perhaps fatigue, decided to dispatch Denis halfway up the mountain. "Who's
to know?" was undoubtedly their reasoning.
Unfortunately, Denis had no intention of cutting the trip short. Once
decapitated, he picked up his head and continued up the hill for a
distance of 6 kilometers! At 9 Rue Yvonne-le-Tac, he washed his bloody
head in a spring and finished his trek.
On the north side of the descending slope, he fell to his knees before a
recently-converted holy woman named Catulla and died. She buried him at
that site, in a Christian ceremony. Sprigs of wheat immediately sprang
from his grave.
The martyrdom of the three prelates, as well as the slaughter of Christians
in the area, resulted in naming this hill the "Mount of Martyrs" or
Montmartre.
Saint Genevieve, whose presence and courage routed the huns from Paris, in
475 was touched by the life of Denis and ordered a chapel to be built at
his grave.
King Dagobert who reigned between 629 and 639, lavishly modernized the
interior. He was buried there, thus starting the multicentury tradition of
interring over 71 kings and queens of the three great dynasties of France
in the crypts below the main floor of the church..
In ll22, the famous abbot Suger ordered the construction of a basilica ,
named for Saint-Denis, in the innovative flamboyant Gothic style at the
site. This was the first church to feature the stained-glass rose window
which became the hallmark of later Gothic churches like Notre-Dame de
Paris.
To celebrate the first anniversary of the death of the monarchy during the
French revolution, a mob invaded the consecrated crypts , disinterred the
remains, scattering skulls and bones as well as articles buried with the
dead about like toys. What was not destroyed was thrown in a common grave
outside the basilica. The coffins and lead dome of the church were melted
to make bullets.
It was only through the intervention of the architect Alexandre Lenoir,
that the magnificent Renaissance mausoleums of Louis XII, Francois I, and
Henri II were preserved.
Napoleon I restored the church, dallying with the idea of being buried
there. The focal point of the church is the immense altar which was
created for Napoleon's wedding to Marie-Louise at the Louvre and was later
moved to Saint-Denis..
Another remembrance of the patron of Paris is Avenue Saint-Denis. It cuts
through the Right Bank from the Rue de Rivoli toward the basilica
Saint-Denis. Historically it was the approach taken by the monarchs en
route to Notre Dame to be consecrated as rulers, and conversely, it was the
route for the funeral processions to their final resting place.
It doesn't quite fit with the chronology of this essay, but I cannot resist
telling you that paleontologists have discovered the bones of elephants,
"elephas primigenus" who lived in the forests of the Buttes Chaumont in the
neolithic period ,and would descend to drink at the Seine along the avenue
Saint-Denis!
Since the basilica is not in Paris but on its outskirts, many tourists miss
the opportunity to visit this hidden treasure. I believe it is far more
intriguing architecturally and has more appeal than Notre Dame.
One excellent way of enjoying the cathedral would be attending the music
festival at Saint-Denis from early June to early July. At that time,
world famous conductors and musicians present symphonic performances of
classical and contemporary religious and secular works.
There are also jazz concerts performed within these medieval walls!
Although the surrounding neighborhood is changing, the church remains a
fitting tribute to Paris' larger-than-life hero, Saint Denis.
Jackie Donnelly, earned her B.A. in French from Connecticut College and her
Master's Degree in French language and literature from Boston University.
Ms. Donnelly has taught French at the high school and university level for over 25 years.
and is an 18 time visitor to France, and describes herself as 100% American
but sentimentally 100% French.
She was recently awarded the Palmes Academiques by the
French Minister of Education.
Currently she is serving as chair of a committee on the National Task Force of the
American Association of Teachers of French.
She can be contacted via this link.
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