This Gothic masterpiece, built by Louis IX (1214– 70) as a shrine for his holy relics of the passion and completed in 1248, is considered the most beautiful church in Paris, not least for its 15 stained-glass windows soaring 15 m (50 ft) to a star-covered vaulted roof. The church was damaged during the Revolution but restored in the mid-19th century.
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Relics of the PassionThe devout Louis IX, later St Louis, was the only French king to be canonized. While on his first Crusade in 1239, he purchased the alleged Crown of Thorns from the Emperor of Constantinople. He subsequently acquired other relics, including pieces of the True Cross, nails from the Crucifixion and a few drops of Christ’s blood, paying almost three times more for them than for the construction of Sainte-Chapelle itself. The relics now reside in Notre-Dame. |
Sainte-Chapelle façade
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Upper Chapel Entrance
As you emerge, via a spiral staircase, into this airy space, the effect of light and colour is breathtaking. The 13th-century stained-glass windows, the oldest extant in Paris, separated by stone columns, depict Biblical scenes from Genesis through to the Crucifixion. To “read” the windows, start in the lower left panel and follow each row left to right, from bottom to top.
Main Portal
Like the Upper Chapel, the main portal has two tiers. Its pinnacles are decorated with a crown of thorns as a symbol of the relics within.
St Louis’ Oratory
In the late 14th century Louis XI added an oratory where he could attend Mass unobserved, watching through a small grille in the wall. The chapel originally adjoined the Conciergerie, the former royal palace on the Ile de la Cité.
Evening Concerts
Sainte-Chapelle has excellent acoustics. From March to November classical concerts are held here several evenings a week.