A Gothic chapel situated in Île de la Cité behind the Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris, Sainte Chapelle is famous for its stained glass windows. Built from 1242 to 1248 at the request of Saint-Louis during what is considered the high tide of Gothic architecture, Sainte Chapelle was built to house the relics of Christ's crown of thorns, Image of Edessa among others. The chapel features over 600 sq metres of stained glass windows, and was considered one of the most complex examples of stained glass window art of the time.

The chapel is split into two floors, the Lower Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and a full length statue is situated in the door way. The Upper Chapel is where the full glory of Sainte Chapelle can be seen, where, during the day, the room is illuminated through coloured light. The stained glass panels tell the story of of mankind from Creation to his Redemption through Christ.

Sainte Chapelle is closed January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th.

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Metro : Cité
RER : Saint Michel - Notre Dame
Bus : 21, 27, 38, 85, 96 et Balabus telephone number : 01 53 40 60 93/97

Last edited on Dec 2, 08 11:11 AM.
Contributors: Eric M. , Pokin Y. , Aaron C. Show History

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Herbert L.

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Jen C.

Oct 31, 2008

This is one of my favourite places in Paris and I think that it's a shame it's often overlooked in favour of Notre-Dame. The upstairs section of the church just defies belief, I have never seen so much stained glass in one place before in my life! I think it's the most impressive and memorable church in Paris (and I realize that's a bold statement!).

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Mark C.

Oct 22, 2008

Transport: St Michel, Notre Dame – RER B At the same metro stop as Notre Dame – you will find my little hidden gem of Paris ... Gorgeous Church with a Kaleidoscope inside with its 15 stained glass windows showing over 1000 scenes from the bible. Built to house the crown of thorns, but today these are held in Notre Dame.

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Kate H.

Jul 5, 2010

Make sure you visit on a sunny day - the upstairs chapel is stained glass from floor to ceiling on all 4 walls and it's incredible! It was built for a king and it's not hard to see why. We opted to visit Sainte Chapelle after we saw that the line-up to go up to the top of Notre Dame was really REALLY long, and we weren't disappointed. Such a stunningly beautiful place!

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Jason V.

May 4, 2009

Incredible gothic chapel. The frescos on the wall are breathtaking. We were there during the day with a tour and learned there was a string quartet performance of Canon in D and The Four Seasons that night. We went back and it was amazing to sit in the chapel and listen to the music.

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Cheryl R.

Jan 25, 2010

Photos are discouraged but if you try it is hard to get a real good shot. The photo is a memory but the feeling you get when you walk inside is something I wish I could figure out how to capture and hold on to forever!!!!!

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