The Sainte-Chapelle

Already known for its university of theology, the capital of the kingdom had yet to boast a religious monument of true significance for the Western world. The opportunity arose when Baldwin II of Constantinople, emperor of the Latin Empire of the East, found himself in financial difficulty. French king Louis IX — known as Saint Louis — purchased from him, his cousin, in 1239 the relics of the Passion of Christ (the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross), for the colossal sum of 1,350 livres. To house them worthily, the Saint had the Sainte-Chapelle built in record time, from 1242 to 1248, thereby enhancing the prestige of France, which became a "new Jerusalem".

Severely damaged during the Revolution, the Sainte-Chapelle underwent extensive restoration in the 19th century at the hands of Jacques-Félix Duban and Jean-Baptiste Lassus.

Conceived as a monumental reliquary, the visit includes the lower chapel, dedicated to the Virgin and used by the royal court's staff, and the upper chapel, reserved for the king and his family, where the relics were kept. You will be dazzled by an exceptional ensemble of fifteen magnificent stained-glass windows and a great rose window — a true hymn to colour. Are you ready for a bath of light?