I look up this historical town of my belle France and realise needed to update its text and links as things change fast in my France, I came around to do some walks in daytime on a nice Saturday mid day. This is Saint Denis in dept 93 Seine Saint Denis ,and in the Île de France region of my belle France, I came here for the Basilica (see posts) of course,but did walked around and you will see the real beat of life in France away from the glamour. Therefore, let me tell you a bit on the Hôtel de Ville of Saint Denis ! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
Saint-Denis is a city bordering Paris, located on the north side ,it is sub-prefecture, and the most populated department in the region of Île-de-France ! It is a social gathering of all faces of France, Saint-Denis borders the cities of Paris, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, Île-Saint-Denis, Epinay-sur-Seine, Villetaneuse, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Stains, La Courneuve and Aubervilliers. The city is served by the A1 highway or autoroute du nord which connects it to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Le Bourget airports and the A86, as well as by the boulevard périphérique around Paris.The Hôtel de Ville and City are served by the metro line 13 and the T1 tram line at the Saint-Denis Basilica station ,and by the T5 tram line at the Saint-Denis market station
The Hôtel de Ville or City/Town Hall officially dates back to June 9, 1720 when the king decides that under the chairmanship of the bailiff, 3 aldermen and a receiver of municipal funds to manage the municipal affairs the city center, First of all, it was the home of Bailli Jean-Baptiste Le Laboureur, but from July 30, 1733, a house at Place Panneière ,current Place Victor-Hugo close to the current location is done. The construction of the contemporary building was decided on June 29, 1878 with the first stone laid on October 30, 1881 in stone building and the slate roof ; it was inaugurated on November 21, 1883.
The roof is surmounted by a campanile inspired by the Beffrois in the north of France. Destroyed in a fire on June 7, 1988, it was immediately rebuilt. Its chime plays sounds the melodies of the good King Dagobert and of the time of the cherries , The monumental staircase leading to the wedding hall was decorated with frescoes painted in 1886 while the three allegorical frescoes of the walls date from 1889, and they are named the thought emancipatory of man , charity, and work., The decorations of the wedding hall were executed in November 1921 and consisting of a large frieze representing the months of the republican calendar. The resistance room is decorated with frescoes and inaugurated on July 14, 1949 in the presence of many personalities including the poet Paul Éluard, In April 1993 is inaugurated an extension of the City/town hall which houses the administrative center, and are both connected by a glass bridge.
Some of the things to see here and have post on some are : The re-designed Porte de Paris gate and the Basilica, the Legion-d’Honneur Park adjoins the gardens and outbuildings of the Legion of Honor’s Education House, which occupies the buildings of the old abbey. Dominated by the Basilica of Saint-Denis, flanked by the garden Pierre de Montreuil, the old center has several remarkable monuments such as this imposing city/town hall, Church of Saint-Denis-de-l’Estrée, royal abbey, porch of the former convent of the Ursulines , former convent of the Carmelites (Museum of Saint-Denis), former headquarters of the newspaper L’Humanité, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, etc. At the crossroads of rue Gabriel-Péri and the rue de la Boulangerie, the café “Au Pavillon” was already known five centuries ago to be a hunting lodge of kings of France who took a break. Henri IV had his bachelor apartment on rue de la Boulangerie where he was preparing the speeches he was going to deliver at the Basilica. Home to the biggest market (see post) of the Île-de-France on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning , the most centenary market hall reopened at the end of 2006, after renovation. It now has a rainwater recovery system, used for post-market cleaning, and solar panels for lighting. The city center has been pedestrianized since March 11, 2005.
A bit of history on Saint Denis tell us that at the beginning of the 7C, Dagobert rebuilt the oratory and the priory built by Saint Genevieve in 475, and created a fair which became in the 12C, the fair of Landy; from the Middle Ages, merchants came from all over Europe and Byzantium; the fair was inaugurated each year by the rector of the University of Paris who came there in great ceremony The church was rebuilt by Suger, who became abbot of Saint-Denis in 1122, advisor to Louis VI, and ruled in the absence of Louis VII, gone to the Holy Land. It was he who, the first time, handed to a king of France the banner, which became famous under the name of its banner. Louis XI rebuilt almost entirely the sanctuary, the transepts and the nave at his own expense. The ancient tombs were rebuilt in the transept and choir of the abbey church, which for centuries was an object of admiration for visitors. This monastery, so to speak national, has always been in the same veneration since Louis IX. In 1806, Napoleon I, by a decree, consecrated the old church to the burial of the emperors, there instituted a retreat for the bishops over 60 years, and a house of education for the daughters of the legionaries. Taken by the enemy in 1814, Saint-Denis was one of the first to declare himself in favor of the Bourbons. In 1815, the city gave the same marks of love to the son of his former benefactors. In 1817, Louis XVIII ordered that the remains of kings, removed from the tombs in 1793, be reinstated there. In 1852, Napoleon III gathered the cure of Saint-Denis in the chapter of the basilica. The church, as a whole, dates from the 12-13C, but since 1858 the sanctuary has returned to its original state. On August 27, 1944, General Leclerc’s troops entered the city for its liberation.
The city of Saint Denis on its history : https://ville-saint-denis.fr/histoire-de-la-ville
The Seine Saint Denis dept 93 tourist office on the heritage of St Denis:https://uk.tourisme93.com/things-to-see.html
There you go folks, a town worth the detour if only for the combination of market City hall and basilica all around one big square which is a must , Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Hôtel de Ville of Saint Denis as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 