Once a revered spot in France, the Basilica of Saint Denis was constructed over the burial site of St Denis, a Christian martyr who is thought to have been the initial bishop of Paris and died at the hands of Roman priests. By the 6th century, the location had become the royal necropolis and was the last resting place of 42 kings, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and 32 queens, ranging from Dagobert I (r 629–39) to Louis XVIII (r 1814–24).