Sainte Chapelle, Paris

...the point!!

Sainte Chapelle was built in the 13th Century by Louis IX (later Saint Louis) to house some of the relics of the Passion of Christ, including the Crown of Thorns. Louis wanted what basically amounted to a huge reliquary to be built inside the royal palace, Palais de la Cite. This chapel was the envy of Europe and probably copied in England and the Holy Roman Empire, to house their own relics. The chapel was meant to symbolise ...
...and Monuments Pass, in which Sainte Chapelle is included. The website claims it has access for disabled visitors, but I can only remember a spiral staircase, so this would be worth checking out further.

THE VISIT:
You enter Sainte Chapelle through the lower chapel, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This is the 'plainer' part, although you won't believe that until you see the upper chapel! The ceiling is the most magnificent ... more

If you go to Paris and only see one thing, make sure its this. You will not be disappointed. It is quite simply stunning.

HISTORY:
Those of you who have read some of my other reviews might have guessed that I am slightly obsessed with all things historical! So i'll try to keep this section to the point!!

Sainte Chapelle was built in the 13th Century by Louis IX (later Saint Louis) to house some of the relics of the Passion of Christ, including the Crown of Thorns. Louis wanted what basically amounted to a huge reliquary to be built inside the royal palace, Palais de la Cite. This chapel was the envy of Europe and probably copied in England and the Holy Roman Empire, to house their own relics. The chapel was meant to symbolise the close relationship between the French King and God, therefore the chapel is decorated with Fleur de Lys and well as symbols of Christ.

The chapel suffered from fires and also during the Revolution. the chapel was restored during the 19th century.

ACCESS:
The Chapel is located on the Ile de la Cite, inside the Palais de Justice. It can be reached by metro, line 4. The entrance fee ranges from 5.5 Euro to 6.1 Euro, depending on whether you take a tour. i didn't take a tour but I imagine it would be worth it. There are information cards provided within the chapel. A good investment for Paris as a whole is the Museums and Monuments Pass, in which Sainte Chapelle is included. The website claims it has access for disabled visitors, but I can only remember a spiral staircase, so this would be worth checking out further.

THE VISIT:
You enter Sainte Chapelle through the lower chapel, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This is the 'plainer' part, although you won't believe that until you see the upper chapel! The ceiling is the most magnificent part, covered with vivid blue paint, with fleur de lys decorating it. There are also golden fleur de lys on the pillars, representing Louis IX and golden castles on red pillars, representing his mother, Blanche of Castile.

You then progress up the stairs into the upper chapel. There is an portal to the outside from this chapel, as in the lower chapel, although it is more of a balcony. This is the part that will take your breath away. There is not an inch left undecorated. The design is very clever, with so much stained glass, the idea was to make the ceiling appear floating. Each stained glass window tells a story from the Bible. One of the windows tells the story of the relics of Christ, right up to Louis collecting the relics. The walls are all decorated in rich colours. There are statues of the apostles. Although the reliquary still stands in the chapel, the reason that the chapel was built now lies a few hundred metres away in Notre Damme, removed during the Revolution. However, I think that most would agree that the chapel itself is enough reason to visit.

VERDICT:
Sainte Chapelle is THE most beautiful Paris monument and should be included on every trip to the city.  

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