The political importance of Saint-Denis increased with the advent of the first Carolingians. In 741, the funeral of Charles Martel began a new series of royal burials and, in 754, the coronation of Pepin the Short by Pope Stephen II was held in the basilica.

Between 769 and 775, Fulrad Fulrad (circa 710 - 784)
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A priest of aristocratic origins, he became abbot of Saint-Denis in 749 or 750. As the principal architect of the accession of Pepin the Short to the title of King of the Franks, Fulrad was the right-hand man of the Carolingians, who raised him to the position of Chaplain. ebuilt the abbey-church Abbey-church
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the Main church of an abbey. as a basilica with columns whose transept gave onto a semi-circular apse to the east. The west end of the building featured a massive entrance that is considered to be the enlargement built by Charlemagne over the tomb of his father Pepin, who was buried before the door of the basilica in 768. Within the monastery, written sources describe a dormitory, a refectory, a heated room, a kitchen, baths, a bakery, a cellar and workshops. At the entrance to the monastery was a hospice, so that the monks could fulfill their duties of hospitality and of giving assistance to the poor and sick. In 832, the abbot Hilduin Hilduin (circa 775 - 855/859)
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Monk who was appointed abbot of Saint-Denis in 814. He was promoted to archchaplain in 822. In 832 he imposed the sharing of the abbey's possessions between the abbot's estate and the monks' estate, allocating to the latter a certain number of in-kind tax payments. He was also the author of a Life of Saint Denis, which had a great influence on the worship and liturgy at Saint-Denis. enlarged the basilica by adding a chapel to the chevet. At the wish of the abbot, eight monks celebrated mass both day and night.

In the necropolis, which had become the abbey's "main cemetery" or aître, the burial space had become so densely occupied that many sarcophagi were reused.

Saint-Denis was elevated to the rank of royal abbey, and written sources tell of the prestigious guests that it drew. It is thus highly likely that lodgings suitable to their rank were created. A residential area, uncovered to the north of the basilica, could have been part of a palace. Indeed, among the stone constructions discovered at Saint-Denis we find a two-storey building that measured at least thirty meters long by fourteen meters wide. It was established as an extension of the funerary churches.

A subterranean aqueduct that supplied water to three tanks was found about fifty meters north of the monumental complex. It was built from soft limestone, and its use was short-lived. The large number of architectural elements found in the abandonment layers of the tanks confirms the proximity of an environment that was clearly monumental in nature. Roman-style roof tiles covered the gently sloping roofs, and the use of tubuli Tubuli
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(plural of the Latin tubulus) in Antiquity, terracotta pipes placed in a wall that brought hot air up from a hypocaust (a sort of underground furnace). for heating can also be seen. Tablets of marble and coloured stones were found; these were originally used for paving and in wall-coverings in opus sectile Opus sectile
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Pavement or wall decoration made of shaped tiles of coloured marble, often assembled in a geometric pattern .The discovery of imported luxury objects, such as glass drinking vessels with reticulated decoration1 and so-called "Tating" ware, estify to the inhabitants' high standard of living. A lead trial-piece for coin dies indicates the presence of a royal mint under the reign of Pépin (752-768).

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