Editing Basilica of Saint-Denis (section)

===20th and 21st centuries===
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File:Paris, France. BASILICA SAINT-DENIS. (PA00079952)(Detail).jpg|West portals before cleaning (2011)
File:Basilique Saint-Denis Première pierre reconstruction flèche.jpg|First stone of the reconstruction of the spire (2025)
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In 1895, when the chapter created by Napoleon was dissolved, the church lost its cathedral rank and reverted to being a parish church. It did not become a cathedral again until 1966, with the creation of the new diocese of Saint-Denis. The formal title is now the "Baslilique-cathédrale de Saint-Denis".{{Sfn|Plagnieux|1998|pp=22–23}}

In December 2016, 170 years after the north tower's dismantlement and following several false starts, the [[Ministry of Culture (France)|Ministry of Culture]] again proposed its reconstruction after concluding it was technically feasible—albeit without public funding.<ref name="parisien_tour_nord">{{cite news |last1=Bourdon |first1=Gwenaël |title=Basilique Saint-Denis : le chantier de la flèche freiné dans son élan |url=http://www.leparisien.fr/saint-denis-93200/basilique-saint-denis-le-chantier-de-la-fleche-freine-dans-son-elan-30-01-2017-6640494.php |access-date=26 September 2018 |work=[[Le Parisien]] |date=30 January 2017 |language=fr}}</ref> An association, ''Suivez la flèche'' ("Follow the Spire"), chaired by [[Patrick Braouezec]], has since been established to support the reconstruction, with the aim of raising the necessary funds by opening the reconstruction works to the general public, along the model of the [[Guédelon Castle]]. In March 2018, the culture ministry signed an accord with the association, officially launching the reconstruction project, with works expected to commence in May 2020.<ref name="ParisDigest">{{Cite web |url= https://www.parisdigest.com/paris-news/saint-denis-spire-reconstruction.htm|title= Saint Denis Cathedral spire| year=2019 |publisher=Paris Digest |access-date=30 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="Accorde">{{cite web |title=Accord définitif de l'Etat : la flèche de la Basilique sera remontée |url=https://www.tourisme93.com/basilique/accord-definitif-la-fleche-de-la-basilique-sera-remontee.html |website=Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis |publisher=Seine-Saint-Denis Tourisme |access-date=26 September 2018 |language=fr}}</ref> A year later, French scholars were still divided on the €25 million proposal to reconstruct the spire.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sage |first=Adam |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/french-academics-at-odds-over-25m-plans-to-rebuild-spire-of-basilica-of-saint-denis-5c5dcw7vs |title=French academics at odds over €25m plans to rebuild spire of Basilica of Saint-Denis |work=[[The Times]] |date=16 November 2021 }}</ref> In 2023, hundreds of anonymous graves dating from the 5th to the 14th century were discovered in the Basilica.<ref>{{cite web |last=Morin |first=Hervé |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/science/article/2023/04/09/basilica-of-saint-denis-newly-discovered-graves-bring-back-the-past_6022294_10.html |title=Basilica of Saint-Denis: Newly discovered graves bring back the past |publisher=Le Monde |date=9 April 2023 }}</ref> In the same year, the Basilica's stained glass windows which have been the central focus of a project spanning 25 years, entered the final stage of restoration with a total cost exceeding 2 million euros.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230203-light-returns-to-the-stained-glass-of-the-saint-denis-basilica |title=Light returns to the stained glass of the Saint-Denis Basilica |publisher=France 24 |date=3 February 2023 }}</ref> The spire reconstruction project commenced after the site's inauguration on 14 March 2025, which was attended by Minister of Culture [[Rachida Dati]], and is expected to continue for five years.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goth |first=Dorine |url=https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/saint-denis_93066/on-tourne-une-page-de-180-ans-saint-denis-lance-le-chantier-de-reconstruction-de-la-fleche-de-sa-basilique_62375013.html |title="On tourne une page de 180 ans" : Saint-Denis lance le chantier de reconstruction de la flèche de sa basilique |publisher=actu.fr |language=fr |date=14 March 2025 }}</ref>