Between the 5th and 8th centuries, the Merovingian dynasty ruled France and part of Europe. King Dagobert I was the instigator of the construction of the abbey church of Saint-Denis and the development of the eponymous monastery. In 636, the king of the Franks broke away from the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where until then the kings of France would be buried. He placed himself under the protection of the saint buried in the church of Saint-Denis and aspired to make it the new royal necropolis. Dagobert I’s numerous donations to the abbey enabled it to become a place of learning and prestige, with a school, a rich library and a scriptorium.