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Chronological information : From the third to the early fifth century
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Saint-Denis in picturesSaint Denis -----------------------------------
Trades in the first millennium
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The tomb of Saint Denis
A pillar from the tomb's chancel
A grave from
the exterior necropolis
The antefixes
Long-distance trade
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Reconstructed view of the polychrome of the chancel pillar assumed to be from the 6th century.
© UASD / M. Wyss.
© UASD / M. Wyss.
The tomb of the martyred saint must have drawn many of the faithful. According to Grégoire de Tours Grégoire de Tours (538 - 594)
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Bishop of Tours, he was the author of the Ten Books of History, better known as the History of the Franks, a major source for the history of Merovingian France. , the tomb was in the form of a raised sarcophagus, the peaked cover of which was draped in a cloth set with gold, precious stones and pearls. A chancel pillar appears to have come from a structure that was built to protect the tomb from the crowds of pilgrims. It was discovered in 1947, re-used in the foundation of an extension of the Merovingian basilica. Large rabbets were cut into the side of the square pillar for holding panels that were part of a 90-cm-high enclosure. Two of the pillar's faces are sculpted in low relief and painted in red and yellow ocher. The decorative repertoire includes a rare interlace pattern, similar to the decoration seen on certain fibulas fibulas
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a brooch with a single pin on the back, used as a garment fastener. found in the sixth-century necropolis.
End of the text of the page
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Bishop of Tours, he was the author of the Ten Books of History, better known as the History of the Franks, a major source for the history of Merovingian France. , the tomb was in the form of a raised sarcophagus, the peaked cover of which was draped in a cloth set with gold, precious stones and pearls. A chancel pillar appears to have come from a structure that was built to protect the tomb from the crowds of pilgrims. It was discovered in 1947, re-used in the foundation of an extension of the Merovingian basilica. Large rabbets were cut into the side of the square pillar for holding panels that were part of a 90-cm-high enclosure. Two of the pillar's faces are sculpted in low relief and painted in red and yellow ocher. The decorative repertoire includes a rare interlace pattern, similar to the decoration seen on certain fibulas fibulas
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a brooch with a single pin on the back, used as a garment fastener. found in the sixth-century necropolis.
Proposed reconstruction of the pillar with the fragment of a second pillar and part of a chancel panel, also found at Saint-Denis; 6th century. © UASD / J.-P Marie,M. Wyss.
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