Guillaume de Châtel

Guillaume of Châtel † 1441, "Grand Panetier de France" for the king Charles VI, stables squire for of the Dauphin.

This officer of the realm of the king of France worked as a baker in the royal kitchen. He is represented in a suit of armour. Indeed, he died during the siege of Pontoise.

To save on expenses, his head was created in marble and his body in stone.

Guillaume de Châtel is one of a dozen servants of the kingdom who had the honor of being buried in the basilica of Saint-Denis. These include Bertrand du Guesclin and Louis de Sancerre, connetable, whose graves can still be seen in the cathedral-basilica of Saint-Denis.

Recumbent effigy of Guillaume of Châtel. © Jean-Christophe Ballot - Centre des monuments nationaux

The Necropolis of Saint-Denis is home to a large number of recumbent figures from the Capetian dynasty. These tombs and recumbents are not the best known, but they are well worth a look: Charles d'Anjou King of Sicily, Charles de Valois, Charles d'Etampes, Isabelle of Bavaria... Find out more about the Capetian dynasty at Saint-Denis.