The Basilica of Saint Denis: Interior

Pictured to the right is the internet's version of the nave of Saint Denis' Basilica. Pictured down to the left is my depiction of the that scurvy nave. It is clear that my picture is more heartfelt and thought provoking because it features something that looks very much like a vase. I don't know what the deal is, but it is just impossible for me to take a good picture inside the dark recesses of cathedrals. This is the fourth huge church I've been through while out here in Paris, and this one certainly ranks number one in many categories. First of all, it is definitely the brightest. It was a beautiful sunny day outside, and it the stained glass was just glowing. This Basilica is the oldest I've seen. It is also the smallest. I'm not sure on this one, but I assume it has more dead people named Louis, Charles or Philippe buried in it than any other church in the world. I left my little pamphlet at home about all the useless information about the church, so I'll just have to paraphrase. All around the inside perimeter of the Basilica is what they call the necropolis, "city of the dead", which has the tombs of and monuments to around fifty or so of France's dead royalty, from Kings to Dukes. There is a little hole, which is hard to see over by Philippe the Tall's tomb which leads down into the depths of the crypt, where bathed in some of the spookiest darkness I've been in you can see the simple marble gravestones covering the burial sites of Louis XIV, XV, XVI and XVIII along with the wives of Louis XIV, XVI (Marie Antoinette) and Louis XVIII. Louis XVII didn't make the cut because he was only eleven when he died and not technically ever King because his mom and him spent most of his life in prison. It's a really sad story, but I'll get back to you on it later on. Anyhow, at risk of making this the longest post ever, you walk around the outside of the church, pay your five euros and spend about two hours walking among all the dead royal folks. In the upcoming blogs I'll be sure to include some of the best tombs, most of them being quite beautiful, some of them surprisingly simple, and one of them quite funny. But as for now, I need to go home and have some dinner. So until then au revoir. Oh yeah, check out the organ loft. Not so shabby. That clock didn't work, I was confused for a really long time. How long was I confused? I don't know, the clock was broken.