A Visit To Sainte-Chapelle

In the spirit of Holy Week this week, I am sharing here my visit to Sainte-Chapelle right in the heart of Paris in the Ile de la Cite and located near the famous Notre Dame de Paris. The chapel is not easy to find as it now located inside the courtyard of the Palais de Justice. This chapel was built in 1248 by King Louis IX of France who later became Saint Louis. The King built this royal chapel to house the passion relics of Jesus, particularly the Crown Of Thorns which he obtained from Baldwin II of Constantinople.  The Chapel was built in the Gothic style with two floors, one on top of the other. The lower floor is for his subjects while the upper flower is for the King and his royal family to worship and prayer sessions. There used to be a Capetian Palace beside the Chapel that had private access to the upper floor that allowed the King to privately worship. The amazing part of the chapel are the original stained glass windows all built since the 13th Century. Most of the stained glass windows are located on the Upper floor, built with high ceilings. So the visitors tend to look up all the way up to heaven and to God. The Sainte-Chapelle is worth a visit as it is one of an kind and so historical.

 

 

 

 

 I learnt so many things from this visit. The Crown of Thorns were stored on this special golden altar surrounded by Angels. The Crown of Thorns was the original crown of thorns of Jesus during his crucifixion. It is now stored at the Notre Dame de Paris where it is on display every Friday. For this Good Friday, which commemorates the death of Jesus, for sure the Crown of Thorns will be on display for the veneration of pilgrims.