St, a small town of France, department of the Seine, on the line of the Great Northern railway, about five miles from Paris. It stands not far from the right bank of the Seine, at the junction of two small streams, the Rouillon and the Croux, and is traversed by a branch of the grand canal de l'Ouercq. St Denis is without the fortifications of Paris, but within the circle of forts with which that city is now girdled round on every side. It is clean and well-built, and has an appearance of industry and thrift such as few towns of the same size in France possess. The antiquity of the town is very great. It is said that the martyred St Denis was buried here about the middle of the second century, and that a chapel was erected over his grave. Four centuries later the chapel was replaced by a handsome oratory, which in turn gave way to a splendid church. On the site of this latter edifice was built the magnificent abbey church, which now constitutes the principal ornament of St Denis. It was begun in 1130, and not completed till 1281. In the crypts of this church the whole Capetian dynasty of France was interred, the body of each king being buried in the floor of the church in front of the high altar, where it lay till the next king died. It was then removed to the crypts, and its place occupied by the coffin of the succeeding monarch. The last king thus interred was Louis XVIII., whose remains have lain undisturbed since his death before the high altar. On the outbreak of the first French revolution it was decreed by the convention that these monuments should be destroyed. They were accordingly broken open by the mob, who treated with the most revolting indignities the bodies of the dead kings, many of which were found nearly entire. Under the Directory the old windows of stained glass were removed, the lead stripped from the roof, and serious thoughts were entertained of levelling the cathedral with the ground. When Napoleon assumed the reins of government, he began to restore the church, and after various interruptions this work was completed by Louis Philippe on a scale of greater magnificence than the church had ever exhibited before. The abbey of St Denis, to which this church was an appendage, was suppressed in 1792. The abbey buildings have been converted into a school, in which the orphans of members of the Legion of Honour receive a gratuitous education. St Denis possesses a considerable trade. In the town are several large flour mills, some manufactories of chemicals, cotton mills, bleaching-greens, &c. A fair of great importance is annually held at St Denis in the latter end of June, and lasts for a fortnight. Pop. of commune (1851) 12,213.