Saint-Denis Abbey: History, Royal Burials, and the Oriflamme

The Abbey of Saint-Denis, a site with a rich history dating back to an early Christian settlement in Roman times, served as a crucial economic hub along trade routes connecting northern Europe with the south. Founded in the 7th century AD by the Merovingian king Dagobert, the abbey's significance grew over centuries. Dagobert's tomb, initiated in the 13th century, remains at Saint-Denis today.

Architectural Evolution and Reuse of Materials

Excavations led by Yale History of Art Professor Sumner McKnight Crosby revealed that masonry from an earlier church was repurposed in the construction of the 12th-century cathedral. Evidence includes Merovingian 7th-century foundations found under the sixth bay of the nave on the north side, along with carved ornament on foundational lime blocks and fragments of broken stone. This practice aligns with a medieval proverb: "a building torn down is already half rebuilt," highlighting the common reuse of older materials.

Royal Burial Ground and Treasury

From its inception, the Abbey of Saint-Denis was exempt from ecclesiastical jurisdiction and received substantial endowments. It became the burial place for French kings, starting with Charles Martel and his son Pepin the Short in the 8th century. Over time, Saint-Denis accumulated an immense treasury, comprising symbols of royal and ecclesiastical authority such as crowns, scepters, and crosses. These valuable objects were interred with the 52 kings, 32 queens, and 63 princes and princesses buried there.

The French Revolution and Its Aftermath

During the French Revolution, particularly the "Terror" of 1793, many cathedrals were vandalized, and their treasuries pillaged. The wealth of objects belonging to the Abbey of Saint-Denis was scattered. Some items eventually found their way to the Louvre Museum, the National Gallery in Washington, and the Walters Museum in Baltimore. The pillaging of the tombs is depicted in a painting by Hubert Robert, showing vandals disinterring coffins under the nave. Revolutionaries scattered the relics of saints and the bones of French royalty into two common graves outside the basilica's northern wall. These remains were later reinterred within the church in 10 joint coffins. Statues of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the last king and queen of France, were replaced in the church during the 1830 revolution, which also saw the restoration of the monarchy.

Charlemagne's Influence and Saint-Denis's Spiritual Authority

Emperor Charlemagne, who died in 814, was not buried at Saint-Denis but at his imperial seat in Aachen, Germany. Nevertheless, he symbolically offered France as a "spiritual fief" or possession to Saint-Denis, designating its abbot as the head of the Church of France. For many centuries, Saint-Denis served as the chief sanctuary of the land, a site not only for royal burials but also for coronations.

The Oriflamme of Saint-Denis: A National Symbol

Saint-Denis was entrusted with the Vexillum, or Oriflamme of Saint-Denis, which became the national emblem and the first flag or banner of France. Legend holds that the Oriflamme was stained with the blood of Saint Denis himself. In the foundational French national epic, "The Song of Roland," crusading warriors liberating Spain from the "Saras" or pagan foe shout "Monjoie!" (Mount Joy), with Charlemagne present and Geoffrey d'Anjou carrying the Oriflamme. Originally associated with Saint Peter and called "Roman," it acquired the name "Monjoie" in that battle. The longevity of this flag, tracing its origins back to apostolic times and Saint Peter, underscored its legitimacy. A stained-glass image from Chartres Cathedral depicts Saint Denis presenting the Oriflamme to Jean Clément, Marshal of France, who died around 1260.

Saint Denis: A Defining Figure

Saint Denis, whose identity will be further explored, was a national saint, and his church was a sacred space that shaped the concept of divine kingship from Saint Louis in the 13th century all the way to the Sun King, Louis XIV, in the 17th century.