Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 9.4 km (5.8 mi) from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a subprefecture of the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, being the seat of the arrondissement of Saint-Denis.
| Mayor (2020–2026) | Mathieu Hanotin |
|---|---|
| Area | 12.36 km2 (4.77 sq mi) |
| Population (2017-01-01) | 111,135 |
| Density | 9,000/km2 (23,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Dionysien |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Saint-Denis is home to the royal necropolis of the Basilica of Saint-Denis and was also the location of the associated abbey. It is also home to France’s national football and rugby stadium, the Stade de France, built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Saint-Denis is a formerly industrial suburb currently changing its economic base.
Name
Until the 3rd century, Saint-Denis was a small settlement called Catolacus or Catulliacum, probably meaning “estate of Catullius”. About 250 AD, the first bishop of Paris, Saint Denis, was martyred on Montmartre hill and buried in Catolacus. Shortly after 250 AD, his grave became a shrine and a pilgrimage centre, with the building of the Abbey of Saint Denis, and the settlement was renamed Saint-Denis.
Heraldry
- Motto : Saint Denys Montjoie !
- The coat of arms are described in Old French by the phrase: Azure semé de lys Or (also known as France ancien).
Demographics
Immigration
As of 2008 18.1% of the population of Saint-Denis was Maghrebian.
Transport
Saint-Denis is served by Metro, RER, tram, and Transilien connections. The Saint-Denis rail station.
Tramways in Île-de-France:
- T1: Asnières-Gennevilliers – Noisy-le-Sec:
- T5: Saint-Denis – Garges-Sarcelles
- T8: Saint-Denis – Épinay-sur-Seine / Villetaneuse
Crime
Saint-Denis is known for its crime, with high rates of robbery, drugs offences and murder.
Education
Saint-Denis has 29 public preschools/nursery schools (écoles maternelles). Saint-Denis has 30 public elementary schools (écoles élémentaires), with one of those schools (École Élémentaire Maria Casarès) being an intercommunal school. Saint-Denis has eight public junior high schools (collèges).
Saint-Denis has the following senior high schools/sixth-form colleges: Lycée Bartholdi, Lycée Paul Éluard, Lycée Suger, and Lycée d’application de l’E.N.N.A.
Saint-Denis has one private elementary, middle, and high school (Ensemble Scolaire Jean-Baptiste de la Salle-Notre Dame de la Compassion) and one private middle and high school.
