A basilica built to drive out paganism

The first basilica dedicated to Saint Denis was built around 475 at the request of Saint Genevieve. This project had the manifest objective of exorcising through a Christian cult the paganism present at the site of the martyrdom. The tombs of Saint Denis, Rusticus and Eleutherius were placed behind the altar which received a sumptuous decoration of silk, gold and precious stones in the 6th century.