Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

Sainte-Chapelle is full of light and color. Photo by Pierre Metivier.

The Lower Chapel of Sainte Chapelle. Photo: Pierre Metivier.

Spectacular stained glass in the Upper Chapel. Photo by Sean Munson.

Upper Chapel. Photos by Patrick Spence.

Rose Window in the Upper Chapel. Photo by Angela.

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La Sainte-Chapelle (The Holy Chapel) is a 13th-century Gothic chapel on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France. It was built by Louis IX for use as his royal chapel.

History

Sainte-Chapelle was founded by the ultra-devout King Louis IX of France, who constructed it as a chapel for the royal palace and to house precious relics. The palace itself has otherwise utterly disappeared, leaving the Sainte-Chapelle all but surrounded by the Palais de Justice.

Unlike many devout aristocrats, who regularly swiped sacred relics, the saintly Louis bought his for a hefty sum. In 1239, he purchased the crown of thorns from the impoverished Latin emperor at Constantinople, Baldwin II, for 135,000 livres (the entire chapel, by contrast, cost 40,000 livres to build). A piece of the True Cross was added, along with other relics, making Sainte-Chapelle a valuable reliquary.

Exterior. Photo under GFDL.

In addition to properly sheltering his holy relics, Sainte-Chapelle was a result of Louis' political ambition to be the central monarch of western Christendom.

At the time Louis' royal chapel was constructed, the imperial throne at Constantinople was occupied by a mere Count of Flanders and the Holy Roman Empire was in uneasy disarray.

Sainte-Chapelle was planned in 1241, started in 1246 and quickly completed: it was consecrated on April 26, 1248.

Just as the Emperor could pass privately from his palace into Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, so now Louis could walk directly from his palace into the Sainte-Chapelle. King Louis IX died of the plague on a crusade, was later canonized by the Pope, and is now known as Saint Louis.

Most of Louis' precious relics were lost or destroyed in the French Revolution; the few that remain are in the treasury of Notre-Dame. During the French Revolution, the chapel was converted to an administrative office, and the windows were obscured by enormous filing cabinets. Their all-but-forgotten beauty was thereby inadvertently protected from the vandalism in which the choir stalls and the rood screen were destroyed, the spire pulled down and the relics dispersed.

In the 19th century, Viollet-le-Duc restored the Sainte-Chapelle. The current spire is his sensitive deign. The Sainte-Chapelle has been a national historic monument since 1862.

What to See

Despite its small and humble exterior above the Palais de Justice buildings, Sainte-Chapelle is among the high points of French High Gothic architecture. The interior gives a a strong sense of fragile beauty, created by reducing the structural supports to a bare minimum to make way for huge expanse of exquisite stained glass. The result is a feeling of being enveloped in light and color.

Sainte-Chapelle stands squarely upon a lower chapel which served as parish church for all the inhabitants of the palace. This chapel, which is rather plain, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A souvenir stand often occupies most of the chapel today.

The most visually beautiful aspects of the chapel, and considered the best of their type in the world, are its 6,458 square feet of stained glass windows of the upper chapel, surrounded by delicate painted stonework. The windows are in deep reds and blues and illustrate 1,130 figures from the Bible. The rose windows added to the upper chapel in the 15th century.

Nearby is the Conciergerie, which can be accessed on a combined ticket with Sainte-Chapelle. Paris' oldest prison, it is where Marie Antionette and later the leaders of the Revolution were held before their execution.

Quick Facts

Name:	Sainte-Chapelle
Type of site:	Royal chapel
Faith:	Roman Catholic
Dates:	1246-48
Address:	4 bd. du Palais, 1er, Paris, France
Phone:	01-42-77-65-65
Metro:	Cité
Hours:	Daily 9:30-6, entry closes at 5:30
Cost:	€6.10; free with Paris Museum Pass.
Tip:	Try to go when it's sunny - the colorful effect inside the chapel is spectacular.

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More Information

Sainte Chapelle - TripAdvisor traveler reviews
Sainte-Chapelle - Fodor's Online Travel Guide
Sainte-Chapelle - Frommer's Attraction Review
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris - Discover France