On 9th January 1514, Anne of Brittany, queen consort of King Louis XII of France, died at the Chateau of Blois. She left her husband, who went on to marry Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, later that year, and two daughters: Claude, Queen of France, and Renée, Duchess of Ferrara. She was buried in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis, just outside Paris, and was joined there by Louis after his death on 1st January 1515.
The tomb of Anne of Brittany and Louis XII is stunning and you can see my photos of it, along with other tombs, in the video talk I did on my visit to the cathedral in 2015:
In the video I mention an article by Yann Kergourlay about Saint-Denis and you can read that article and see Yann's photos at www.theanneboleynfiles.com/visit-basilica-saint-denis-guest-post-yannkergourlay/
Thank you for this lovely “slide show,” Claire. Now I am definitely going to visit the Basilica of Saint Denis! I love the legend that Saint Denis was decapitated and then walked whilst carrying his head and preaching! I was so interested in the history of the Basilica.
The necropolis really does look amazing; I love all your beautiful photos of the tombs and the memorial statue of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. How fascinating to see the tombs of so many kings, queens, princes and princesses! Thank you for a wonderful talk.
I loved Saint Denis, I was so excited about going and so relieved that we managed to find time on our long weekend to go. It was quite easy to get to from central Paris on the metro. The tombs are magnificent and the crypt is eerie and very interesting, a beautiful cathedral too.
Thank you Claire, for this great look into the highlights and especially Tudor links at the Basilica! I tend to overlook how much Tudor-related history is in France as well! It is on my list to visit soon!