The Sainte Chapelle is a royal chapel in the Gothic style within the medieval Palace de le Cite, the residence of the Kings until the 14th century, on the River Seine. It is one of the very visible remains of the oldest palace of the Kings of France. No, that is not my photo above. I took a shot of an informational sign, describing ongoing refurbishment. The remaining shots are my photos.
The chapel was built between 1242 – 1248 to house the relics of the Passion of Christ purchased by Louis IX. The most notable being Christ’s Crown Of Thorns – one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom. It was later moved to Notre Dame until the 2019 fire, which it survived.
The 30 odd relics purchased by Louis IX increased the prestige of France and Paris in the eyes of medieval Europe. It also has one of the most extensive 13th century-stained glass collections than anywhere in the world. More on that later.
There are two sanctuaries, one on top of another. The upper level, where the relics were kept, was reserved exclusively for the royal family and their guests. The lower level was for courtiers, servants and soldiers of the palace. The lower chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and her sculpture is at the portal.
The original stained glass in the lower chapel was destroyed by a flood in 1690 and replaced by colorless glass. The present glass was part of the 19th century restoration and has scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The statue in the lower chapel…..Louie IX.
There was a small rosette in the back of the lower chapel.
The upper chapel is reached by narrow stairwells in the corner towers. Below gives you an example of the details along the walls – still in the lower chapel – as you go up the staircase.
There is no other word but W.O.W. This was literally my first step inside the upper chapel from the stairwell. It takes your breath away.
1113 scenes are depicted in 15 stained glass windows, telling the story of mankind, Genesis through Christ’s resurrection.
The alcove below would have housed the reliquary. Sainte-Chapelle, both as a symbol of religion and royalty was a prime target for vandalism during the French Revolution. The vessels holding the relics were taken apart and melted down for their jewels and precious metals. Sculptures and royal emblems on the outside were smashed. The spire was pulled down. Some of the stained-glass windows were broken or dispersed, but nearly 2/3 of the glass today is original.
There are 16 statues of the apostles which date about to 1240.
The rose window at the back of the chapel was made in the late 15th century in the ‘flamboyant’ gothic style. It is composed of 89 separate panels representing the scenes of the Apocalypse.
Even the paintings along the wall had been restored for the most part, going back to royal books in the library to check for style, remaining faithful to the colors and techniques of the 13th century.
So many people are looking up, most don’t even notice the stone floor and its design.
Before leaving, was able to catch a shot of the four of us in the upper chapel – without all the others in the room, not an easy feat. 🙂
Now, I’ve got to be honest……………we headed down these stairs and I was expecting to see more.
What? Yep, I was expecting more and for a while was disappointed in our visit. We had been to soooooooo many French cathedrals (Reims, Amiens, Bayeux and Notre Dame to name a few) that after going down, I thought we would be seeing the ‘rest’ of the cathedral. Obviously, I had not done my homework prior to our visit, it was after all a ‘chapel’.
Searching the internet before writing this post definitely gave me a different perspective. Next time…….note to self…….need to do my research beforehand.
This was a most amazing spot to visit within the city of Paris.
Ginny
Had to throw in at least one gargoyle.
Darden Travels 