In 1998, when the Pierre-de-Montreuil garden was being laid out north of the basilica, a remarkable discovery was made in a foundation: the mullions Mullion
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in architecture, a freestone element that divided the bay of a window, or constituted the spokes in a rose window. that were originally part the two rose windows of the Gothic transept, and that François Debret François Debret (1777 - 1850)
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Brother of the historical painter Jean-Baptiste Debret, and student of Percier and Fontaine. In 1813, he was appointed architect of the Saint-Denis basilica and worked there for thirty-two years, until 1845. replaced in 1838 with copies that are still in place.

These mullions, carved in a Parisian limestone selected for its qualities, testify to the great skill of the medieval builders. Stone-cutters first trimmed down the pieces to their maximum width. Then, using templates for drawing the outline of the mullions seen in cross-section, they squared off the center section and carved grooves to hold the stained glass.

The prepared mullions would then be assembled in situ, a dozen meters up, held in place by iron pins sealed in lead. Chisels and gouges were then used to sculpt them. The capitals of these mullions are decorated with foliage, in styles that varied between a pure, graphic approach and a nearly realistic naturalism. Some of the bases were adorned with diamond tips and twisted cable motifs. A yellow ochre wash has been applied to the interior surfaces, while the outside surfaces show the effect of six centuries of atmospheric erosion.

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