In one of the front portals of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris I noticed a statue holding his head in his hands. This is the statue of Saint Denis, a martyr who was beheaded by the Romans on the hill of Montmartre (Mount of Martyrs). It is said that after the execution, Saint Denis took his head in hands and marched several kilometers outside the city. There he posed his head and asked to be buried in that spot. This of course is the site of the Basilica of Saint Denis, which became the burial place for the kings of France. St. Denis is a patron saint of Paris and France. The photos were taken on October 10, 2007.