Saint-Denis

Saint-Denis is a city north of Paris, France. In 1793, during the French Revolution, it was briefly renamed Franciade to show a rejection of religion, but reverted to its original name in 1803.
==History==
===Origins===
According to legend, the bishop Denis of Paris was beheaded and martyred sometime during the 3rd century. Undeterred, the man reportedly picked up his head, tucked it under his arm and then walked all the way to the village of Catolacus, where he finally collapsed and was buried.Assassin's Creed: Unity – Dead Kings – Database: Franciade In reality, this legend was the result of an unknown follower of Denis using an Apple of Eden found by the bishop to imprint a false memory within the minds of the general populace.Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Siege of Paris – Notes from Eivor's travels: "Ancient Stone Tablet 2"
After his death, Denis would become a saint and patron of the newly-formed town of Saint-Denis, built atop the site of his alleged final resting place. This site also coincided with the ruins of an Isu temple where the bishop's Apple of Eden had originally resided.Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Siege of Paris
===Middle Ages===
Over time, Saint-Denis would flourish due to its influential church and abbey, populated by abbots such as Suger, who were advisors to the monarchy. The town was also notable for being the final resting place of a number of France's royalty,Assassin's Creed: Unity – Dead Kings – Database: Basilica of Saint Denis including Marie de' Medici.Assassin's Creed: Unity – Dead Kings – The Unopened Rose
During the Siege of Paris in 886 CE, the Viking shieldmaiden and jarlskona of the Raven Clan, Eivor Varinsdottir, visited Saint-Denis and found a treasure hoard map. She also explored a crypt near the town's abbey, which led to the entrance of the Isu temple beneath Saint-Denis, though Eivor could only observe it from afar.
===French Revolution===
The rise of anti-royalist sentiment during the French Revolution led to the National Convention ordering the destruction of the Saint-Denis Basilica's royal necropolis in 1793. Citizens of the time were traumatized to see the bodies of the kings, along with their buried relics, simply tossed out in the street by revolutionaries. By 1794, Saint-Denis, having been renamed Franciade, had adopted the atmosphere of a ghost town.
Around this time, a group of tomb raiders led by Philippe Rose arrived in the commune to search the catacombs for valuables. They had been hired by Napoleon Bonaparte, who sought access to the fabled Saint-Denis Temple built beneath the town's basilica, in order to gain possession of the artifact stored within.Assassin's Creed: Unity – Dead Kings – The Book Thief
However, the ex-Assassin Arno Dorian, who had traveled to Franciade in an effort to leave France, became embroiled in a conflict with the raiders. Spurred on by a local boy named Léon, Arno ensured the artifact, which he discovered to be an Apple of Eden, did not fall into Napoleon's hands. Napoleon was subsequently arrested for deserting his post and putting Franciade under martial law while he was looking for the relic.Assassin's Creed: Unity – Dead Kings – A Crown of Thorns
==Gallery==
ACU DK Franciade Cemetery - Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of a cemetery in Saint-Denis
ACU DK-Village concept.jpg|Concept art of the streets of Saint-Denis
ACV Saint-Denis Level Art 1.jpg|Level art of Saint-Denis during the 9th century
ACV Saint-Denis Level Art 2.jpg|Level art of Saint-Denis during the 9th century
ACV Saint-Denis Level Art 3.jpg|Level art of Saint-Denis during the 9th century
ACV Saint-Denis Level Art 4.jpg|Level art of Saint-Denis during the 9th century
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed: Unity – Dead Kings 
*Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Siege of Paris
==References==
Category:France
Category:Cities in France
Category:Communes of France