The Sainte Chapelle (Holy Chapel) was erected by King Louis IX, during the XIII century, to house precious relics: the Christ's crown of thorns that he purchased from Baldwin II, emperor of Constantinople, and a part of the holy Cross.
It is renowned for its richly hued stained-glass windows (above all its rose windows) and it represents a masterpiece of the Gothic art.
The interior of the upper chapel is an impressive sight: its walls consisting of the original 13th century stained-glass windows soaring 15 meters to a star-covered vaulted roof.
The windows, separated by stone columns, depict 1,134 biblical scenes, starting from genesis through to the crucifixion.

In 1239, King Louis IX bought from Baldwin II, after two years of negotiations, the holy relics of the Christ. He decided to build a magnificent monument that could be worthy of that important treasure.
Besides its beautiful stain-glass windows, the Sainte Chapelle is characterized by the beauty of decorations and the elegance of sculptures. Its sumptuous architecture and decorations have influence the artistic and religious creation until the XVI century.
Even if it is not a cathedral, the Sainte Chapelle deserves a particular attention for its richness and meaning.
The Christ's crown of thorns, anciently kept inside the Chapel, is housed today in the treasure room of Notre dame cathedral.
The interior gives a strong sense of fragile beauty, created by reducing the structural supports to a bare minimum. The result is a feeling of being enveloped in light and colour.

The holy monument has been built by Pierre de Montreuil, famous architect who had also participated to the construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saint Denis basilica.
Seriously undamaged during the Revolution, the Sainte Chapelle has been renovated, during the XIX century, by Jacques-Félix Duban and Jean-Baptiste Lassus.
The Sainte Chapelle is divided in two floors.
The lower chapel is dedicated to the holy Virgin and it is characterized by a polygonal apse.
The decorations of the lower chapel, which was reserved to lower ranks of the royal court, include trilobated arches, 12 medallions representing the Apostles, Castiglia towers and white lilies on a blue background.
A spiral staircase gives access to the upper chapel, preceded by a loggia and a portal decorated with reliefs representing the Last Judgment and scenes from the Old Testament.
The holy relics were kept in the upper chapel that had been conceived as an enormous treasure chest.
The upper floor of this palatine chapel was reserved to the King.
The elegant proportions and airiness of the upper chapel, its 15 magnificent stained-glass windows, separated only by thin columns and reaching nearly from floor to ceiling, and its vividly painted columns and panels create the effect of a sheer blaze of colour and lights.

Rates:
Full: 5,50 €
Reduced:3,50 €


For more information:
http://sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr/