Sainte Chapelle, Paris

Built by Louis IX in the 13th century, the Sainte-Chapelle is an architectural wonder and the finest royal chapel built in France. Experiencing our Best Europe tour packages, Designed with a Rayonnant Gothic style architecture, this chapel attracts millions of tourists each year. The chapel was commissioned by Louis IX of France in order to display his huge collection of Passion relics. It also houses the relics from the medieval Christendom, Christ's Crown of Thorns.

It was once a revolutionary tribunal and also a spot where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned. The distinct collection of fifteen glass panels along with a rose window forms a legit wall of light proving the architectural excellence of this chapel.

The chapel suffered tragic destruction in the late eighteenth century, during which the baldachin and the steeple were removed. Some of the relics were dispersed and also various reliquaries like the Grande Châsse, were melted down. The chapel as it appears today is due to the restoration done in the nineteenth and twenty-first century.

Despite its tragic history, the Sainte-Chapelle houses the extensive collection of stained glass from the 13th century. All the 15 stained glass windows in this chapel date back to the 13th century. The glass windows illustrate over 1000+ biblical stories starting from the Book of Genesis, leading towards the Book of Esther and the Book of Kings.

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• Sainte Chapelle is most famous for the stained glass window which depicts over 1113 scenes from the Bible. It was built to educate illiterate people about the Bible.
• The stained glass window is a magnificent visual display that aesthetically combines art and architecture to offer a surreal experience especially in the evening sun.
• The Gothic style architecture of the chapelle is one of the finest examples of medieval Rayonnant architecture.
• The Lower Chapel has the oldest wall painting in Paris which is that of The Annunciation.
• The stunning golden shrine which is in the Upper Chapel was used to keep the artifacts of The Passion of Christ which were bought from Baldwin II, the then Emperor of Constantinople. Now the shrine is empty as the artifacts have been transferred to the Notre Dame Cathedral
• The Statues Of The 12 apostles and Saint Peter is one of the finest examples of medieval French sculptures.Suggested Read: Best Shopping Places In ParisAlso Checkout & Book : Seine River Cruise Paris

It is located exactly on 8 Boulevard, and you can take either of the following routes to reach here.

By Train: You can take any of the metros: Metro-1, Metro-14, Metro-4 to reach here. Although the recommended option would be Métro Line 4 will take you to the Cité stop, and you will have to walk a block up the Rue de Lutèce to the Palais de Justice. The Sainte-Chapelle entrance will be to the left of the Palais with its gilded iron gates. 

By Bus: You can take either of the Bus-21, Bus-24, Bus-27, Bus-85 or Bus-96 to reach this chapel. You can also take the Batobus, stopping on the Left Bank across Nôtre-Dame.

By Car/Bike: To reach this chapel by car or a bike, all you need to do is follow the banks of the Seine river to Châtelet or Saint-Michel, and then boulevard du Palais.

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The best time to visit this chapel is on a weekday when you’ll find less crowd. You should avoid visiting the chapel on Thursdays as they are the busiest day of the week and you’ll witness a major crowd over here. The best time to visit the chapel for photography is an hour before the sunset, to position yourself to capture the light coming out through the windows illuminating the stained glass. In case you can not make it during that time, prefer morning time on a sunny day, you will not only avoid the crowds but also be able to take some great pictures.

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Location: 8 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris, France

Timings: 

1. From 2nd January to 31st March

It will remain open every day.

• 9.00 - 17.00

2. From 1st April to 30th September

It will remain open every day.

• 9.00 - 19.00

3. From 1st October to 31st December

It will remain open every day.

• 9.00 - 17.00

The chapel will remain closed on 1st January, 1st May and 25th December. Also, no entry will be allowed half-hour before the closing time.

Price: 

• 11.5€ per individual
• Group Price (20 or more) is 9€
• School Students (max 35 + 2 escorts) is 30€
• Any disabled visitor (+1) and People aged 18-25 from the EU or with a European visa have free admission.

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History of Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle, also known as the Holy Chapel, situated in the giant courtyard of Île de la Cité, was built with the intention of housing the relics of Jesus Christ from King Louis IX's collection. The relics include the Image of Edessa, the Crown of Thorns, and around 30 other items.

King Louis purchased the Passion relics ranging from Baldwin II, for a price of 135,000 livres. In addition to being a worship house, this chapel played a very prominent role in fulfilling the cultural and political ambitions of the king. Fitting into a prolonged tradition of prestigious palace chapels, the Sainte-Chapelle elevated Louis' architectural and artistic patronage.

It led to position him as the monarch of western Christendom. The two-story chapel was inspired by Charlemagne's palatine chapel located at Aachen. The captivating stained glass panes arranged across 15 windows with each being 15 metres high, depict 1,113 scenes from the Old and New Testaments portraying the history of the world.

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Interesting facts about the Sainte-Chapelle

• The architect of this gloriously designed chapel still remains unknown. Although there are many theories about the designer, nothing has ever been proven.
• The chapel had to be completely restored in the 19th century due to its destruction during the French revolution. Although the embellishment of the upper chapel is based on drawings and descriptions of the original architecture, the lower chapel had to be reinvented due to lack of any documentation.
• Every year on Good Friday, Saint-Louis displayed the relics to the Parisians from the altar.
• Unlike the stained glass, the rose window having 87 petals, does not date back to the 13th century but is instead from the 15th century. This window is considered to possess a Flamboyant Gothic style and illustrates Saint John’s Book of Revelation.
• The stained glass windows of the upper chapel are made of 618 m2 of glass, which is a striking combination of weight and balance. 
• The stained glass windows depicting around 1,113 biblical scenes, were created with the intention to help illiterate people to understand the stories from the Bible. These lancets should be read from left to right and working from the bottom up.
• The elaborate and large silver chest that King Louis used to store his Passion relics was costlier than building the whole Saint-Chapelle, 100,000 livres as opposed to the 40,000 livres to build this chapel.

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Tips for visiting Sainte-Chapelle

• Best time to visit the Chapelle is during the summer season as the stained glasses look their best at this time. 
• The lines at the Sainte Chapelle are really long so it is best if you choose a concierge service. 
• Sainte Chapelle and Justice Palace have the same security check so you can also visit it without any extra ticket. 
• The Chapelle is closed from 1pm to 2pm therefore plan your trips accordingly.
• Depending on the attractions you choose to visit you will need a minimum of 1 to 2 hours to explore Sainte Chapelle. 
• Although there are no dress codes to visit the Chapel it is still advisable to avoid off shouldered clothes, very short clothes or those with plunging necklines. 

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