Basilica of St. Louis, King of France 19th century. Bishop Joseph Rosati, who ordered the construction of the church, is interred in a vault underneath the sanctuary. Basilica of St. Louis, King of France The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France (), formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, and colloquially the Old Cathedral, was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is one of two Catholic basilicas in St. Louis, and it is named for King Louis IX of France, also the namesake for the city of St. Louis. The
Name of France Name of France The name France comes from Latin "Francia" ("land of the Franks"). Originally it applied to the whole Empire of the Franks, extending from southern France to eastern Germany. Modern France is still called "Frankreich" in German and similar names in some other Germanic languages (such as "Frankrijk" in Dutch), which means "Frank Reich", the Realm of the Franks. Before being named France, the land was called Gaul (; ). This name continued to be used even after the beginning of the reign of the Franks' Kings Clovis I, Charles Martel, Pepin the Short, and Charlemagne. In fact,