When I was in Paris, certainly I was in St. Denis cathedral to see the grave. And the first impression was strange and I thought "Rest in peace". This special silence...You think about their history and about life and death in general.

A French friend of mine told me one interesting thing...She told me that probably in the grave of Ludvik someone else was buried. It is said that they made a mistake and didn't find the right body. When you ask employees of the cathedral they don't want to talk about it.

I didn't get over St. Denis while I was Paris. Thanks for that interesting bit.

Given that DNA testing is becoming increasingy common in anthropological and archaeological arenas, do you think they will ever test the remains in St Denis? Would you want them to??

Well, if they want to...Sometimes people don't want to say that "original" in fact is not an original. It could create further problems for them - for example what to say tourists and so on...Therefore it is an answer on the question why employees of the cathedral rather avoid the topic.

I went to St. Denis. I never heard this story about Louis XVI's grave though...

Even though the idea of someone else being buried in St Denis instead of Louis XVI isn't pleasant, what matters is that there is a place where people can pay their respects to the Royal Couple.

I really prefer the little expiatory chappel, dear Marquise, with its charming square, where you can rest for a while, sit and meditate. This was built on the actual cemetary where Louis, Antoinette and other companions of misfortune, victimes of the revolution, were buried.

http://pagesperso.aol.fr/unmomentdecalm ... temps.html
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapelle_expiatoire
http://www.monum.fr/visitez/decouvrir/f ... g=fr&id=72

Thank you for the internet links Pimpernelle...I'm saving the pictures...some of them are beautiful.
I have to visit this place!
I haven't been to Paris in years...last visit was with my mother and she's a bit of a Jacobine needless to say that La Chapelle wasn't included in the trip.
La Conciergerie wasn't either.
I've already discussed having a Marie Antoinette week end in Paris/Versailles with the friend who introduced me to her. This summer perhaps...

I haven't seen the statue in tribute to the royal couple in personm. Would you say that its a good likeness of both of them ?

I think this statue is a little bit hagiographical and idealised, maybe... But I definitely adore it ! Antoinette is so beautiful... so noble, so fragile altogther, so Habsburg !

Oooh ok , thanks . I do think it is a good likeness of both of them - judging from pictures alone ...

Oh, I would like to go there very much. Just to pay homage to them both.

Yes me too I would like very much...

Does anyone know the story of how they exhumed and transferred the bodies of MA and Louis XVI from the Madeleine cemetery to St. Denis in 1815? I heard that they did positively identify MA from the headband that she was wearing to the execution and which was buried with her, plus other items of clothing. Louis XVI I'm less sure about. Someone based the find on having contacted the gravedigger who had memorized where he buried them or there was a story about a royalist sympathizer who bought the plot of earth in question and protected it from desecration as he lived in the rue d'anjou just opposite. I can't remember exactly but maybe someone could help? It would be reassuring to know that MA is really buried at St. Denis, I actually can't agree with Mertueil, to me it's important, at least we know that her resting place is genuine, that's the least we can do for her.

I would also very much like to know, Baron - I must admit that I do not know anything about the bodies being transferred. But hopefully some one will know in this forum!?