The Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine in Paris.
Construction began sometime after 1238 and the chapel was consecrated on 26 April 1248. The Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of Gothic architecture.
It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns – one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom, later hosted in the nearby Notre-Dame Cathedral until the 2019 fire, which it survived.
Along with the Conciergerie, the Sainte-Chapelle is one of the earliest surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité.
Although damaged during the French Revolution and restored in the 19th century, it has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained glass collections anywhere in the world.
Beautiful
Good photo, although it does not do it justice.
It’s pretty but it’s no Eiffel Tower.
An artistic and engineering marvel!
This is such a beautiful building! I got there by chance, many years ago, on my first trip to Paris (I was just strolling through the Île de la Cité, without any particular goal; I saw the entrance, so I went in to see what’s there). Surprisingly, there were very few people inside, so I sat down on a bench to take it all in.
It was mid to late afternoon, so the sun was relatively low in the sky, hitting the amazing painted windows at an angle and filling the room with blue and red and yellow light – it was like being inside a huge jewel box.
Now, I’m not a religious person at all; however, that time, sitting on a bench and simply looking at the amazing Sainte-Chapelle light is the closest I believe I’ve ever been to a religious experience.
6 comments
The Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine in Paris.
Construction began sometime after 1238 and the chapel was consecrated on 26 April 1248. The Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of Gothic architecture.
It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns – one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom, later hosted in the nearby Notre-Dame Cathedral until the 2019 fire, which it survived.
Along with the Conciergerie, the Sainte-Chapelle is one of the earliest surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité.
Although damaged during the French Revolution and restored in the 19th century, it has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained glass collections anywhere in the world.
Beautiful
Good photo, although it does not do it justice.
It’s pretty but it’s no Eiffel Tower.
An artistic and engineering marvel!
This is such a beautiful building! I got there by chance, many years ago, on my first trip to Paris (I was just strolling through the Île de la Cité, without any particular goal; I saw the entrance, so I went in to see what’s there). Surprisingly, there were very few people inside, so I sat down on a bench to take it all in.
It was mid to late afternoon, so the sun was relatively low in the sky, hitting the amazing painted windows at an angle and filling the room with blue and red and yellow light – it was like being inside a huge jewel box.
Now, I’m not a religious person at all; however, that time, sitting on a bench and simply looking at the amazing Sainte-Chapelle light is the closest I believe I’ve ever been to a religious experience.