Basilica of St. Louis, King of France 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 current structure (built 1831-1834) is located near the historic riverfront of St. Louis, surrounded by but not a part of
Name of France to a 19th-century theory on the origin of the French language – "le francien". In a fourth meaning, "France" refers only to the "Pays de France", one of the many "pays" (Latin: "pagi", singular "pagus") of Île-de-France. French provinces are traditionally made up of several "pays", which are the direct continuation of the "pagi" set up by the Roman administration during Antiquity. The province of Île-de-France is thus made up of several "pays": "Pays de France", Parisis, Hurepoix, French Vexin, and so on. "Pays de France" is the extremely fertile plain located immediately north of Paris which supported one of