Basilica of Saint-Denis
- "The basilica he fashioned to protect the sword using architectural knowledge discovered within "The Fire", may the mechanisms that masked this secret so well for five hundred years continue to hold, for the Eagle of Saint Denis must not be found by the wicked."
- ―Dom Poirier on the basilica's purpose.[src]
The Basilica of Saint-Denis (French: Basilique de Saint-Denis) is an abbey church located in Saint-Denis, France. Considered the first Gothic church, the basilica provided an architectural model for cathedrals and abbeys of northern France, England and other countries.
History
The basilica began as a church housing the relics of its patron saint in 475, built on top of the remains of a cemetery. It was also the burial site of the Kings of France for many centuries, leading it to be referred as the "royal necropolis of France"; the remains of all but three of the French monarchs were interred at the basilica.
In 1135, the construction was redesigned and expanded by the abbot Suger, an influential counselor to the kings and the foremost historian of his time. This restauration of the basilica, which was based on knowledge Sugar had gained from the Apple of Eden located in the Saint-Denis Temple, transformed it into the first Gothic church, though Suger did not live to see the project completed. Prior to his death, Suger hid the Eagle of Suger inside the basilica, with various mechanisms protecting it.
In 1793, anti-royalist revolutionaries desecrated the royal necropolis under orders of the National Convention. They destroyed graves, unearthed valuables and tossed the bodies of the kings into the streets; citizens of the time were traumatized to see figures who had been considered divine violated to such a degree.
In August 1794, Arno Dorian entered the royal crypt beneath the basilica, in an effort to locate the Condorcet manuscript for the Marquis de Sade. However, as the manuscript and various other relics had been looted from the tomb, the ex-Assassin was forced to leave empty-handed. Later, on the urging of a local boy named Léon, Arno returned to the basilica to find clues regarding the location of an artifact sought by tomb raiders in the employ of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Gallery
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Concept art of the Basilica -
Concept art of the Basilica -
Concept art of the Basilica's interior
