La Sainte Chapelle (1242-1248)
6 – 8 Boulevard du Palais, Ile de la Cité, 75001 Paris
Website – tel : 01 53 40 60 80
Metro station: Cité
Price from €13. Free for EU citizens under 26 years old (free non-EU citizens under 18 years old)
Combined pass for the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle, price from €20.
Open daily.
April through September: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
October through March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Guided tour organized daily.
Tour with audio-guide in 6 languages. Price: €3.
Classified as a National Monument.
Book your tickets directly for the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie
Sainte-Chapelle (The Holy Chapel) and the Conciergerie are precious testimonies of what the palace of the kings of France was like from the 10th to the 14th century. Sainte-Chapelle, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, was commissioned by Saint Louis (Louis IX) in order to preserve the relics of the Passion of Christ. The building was extensively restored in the mid-19th century.
Superimposed sanctuaries (1242-1248)
The lower chapel is dedicated to the Virgin, and carved decoration of the porch and the inside décor are from the 19th century. On the side walls, the sculptural medallions represent the 12 apostles with idealized faces. The scene of the Annunciation at the bottom left is the oldest mural in Paris. The golden lilies on a blue background and the starry sky vault are perfectly executed. The lower chapel was the palace staff’s place of worship.
The decoration of the upper chapel is simply sumptuous. Sculptures and glass combine to glorify Christ’s Passion. Its 15 windows (most of which are original) diffuse light in shades of red and blue, almost heavenly. They show, in 1,113 scenes, the history of humanity, from Genesis to the resurrection of Jesus. This is the most extraordinary collection of stained glass from the 13th century. They read from left to right and top to bottom. Connected to the palace, access to the upper chapel was reserved for the king, his family and the college of canons.
The story of the Holy Relics
The 22 Holy Relics of the Passion of Christ had belonged to the emperors of Constantinople since the 4th century until Louis IX bought them to increase the prestige of France. Paris then became, in the eyes of medieval Europe, a “New Jerusalem”, and by the same token, the second capital of Christendom. Among them, the most famous relics are the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross carried by Christ. They were acquired in 1239 for a sum far exceeding the cost of the construction of the building.
For more information : the canopy recounting the history of the relics of the Passion (in the upper chapel) illustrates the story of their discovery by Saint Helena in Jerusalem until their arrival in France. The relics of the Sainte-Chapelle are now kept in the Treasury of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.