Sainte-Chapelle is in Paris on the Île de la Cité in the Seine.
I knew I would have only one free afternoon in Paris before leaving for Normandy the next morning. So I asked my friend Walter, who knows Paris much better than I do, what I should see.
He suggested Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité near the royal palace.
It was excellent advice.
Not all things Gothic are cathedrals. Sainte-Chapelle -- or "Holy Chapel"-- was built during the 13th-century reign of Louis IX (he was later canonized as Saint Louis). It is a prime example of the Gothic style known as Rayonnant, from the French for "to radiate." The Rayonnant style provided for grand windows for interior illumination. Lace-like stone screens were employed on exteriors to hide the bulk of load-bearing walls and buttresses.
When I visited Sainte-Chapelle on my one free afternoon, I was enveloped by soaring windows and nearly 6,500 square feet of magnificent stained glass. Sunlight streamed in, creating a shimmering display of projected color that bathed visitors, walls and floors in vivid, glowing reds and blues. Although full of tourists, the chapel was quiet. We were struck dumb by the feeling of being encircled by such majestic light and color. It was a most impressive sight.
Sainte-Chapelle was built to house one of Christianity's most precious relics, Christ's Crown Of Thorns. Louis IX bought the artifact of the Passion and other relics in 1239 from the Latin emperor at Constantinople. In 1241, he added a piece of the True Cross to his collection, and Sainte-Chapelle was consecrated on April 26, 1248.
The chapel was effectively destroyed in the late 18th century during the French Revolution, although nearly two-thirds of the windows visitors see today are authentic. The relics were dispersed, although some, including the Crown of Thorns, survive at Notre Dame Cathedral. An 1855 restoration returned Sainte-Chapelle to its former glory, and the chapel has been a French national historic monument since 1862.
If there's a trip to Paris in your future, I suggest that you put Sainte-Chapelle at the top of your must-see list.
Posts
Glad I made the suggestion; glad you took it. Interestingly, I just offered the same advice to a young Yalie who left Tuesday on his first visit to the City of Light. I also told him to visit the Orangerie to see the Monet Water Lilies. One in glass, the other in oil -- both extraordinary examples of the use of color.
ReplyDelete