A Day in Paris | Sainte-Chapelle🏰
Sainte-Chapelle is a small church located on the Île de la Cité. This island is the birthplace of Paris; the bustling city that we know today was once just a small fishing village on this island, surrounded by the Seine River, which formed a natural protective barrier and provided vitality for the city's initial development. 📍This is a magnificent royal chapel, situated on the eastern side of the island, while Notre-Dame Cathedral is on the western side. Although it is smaller in size compared to Notre-Dame, it is no less a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. The chapel, together with the adjacent Palais de Justice, historically formed a single entity, part of the Palais de la Cité, built on the site of Roman ruins. From the 10th to the 14th century, this was the center of French royal power. With the departure of the royal family, it has now lost its religious function and stands as an artistic shell left behind by history, a major historical monument open to the public on the Île de la Cité. 📍The chapel is divided into two levels; the lower level was used by servants and lower officials. On the door of the former sacristy in the left transept, there is the oldest mural in Paris, "The Annunciation"; friends interested in art must not miss it. The most exquisite part of the church is the upper level, reserved for the royal family. Fifteen-meter-high walls are adorned with fifteen narrow stained-glass windows, totaling 1113 scenes, depicting the biblical stories from Genesis to the Resurrection of Jesus. Those interested in or familiar with biblical stories can pause here to carefully identify and read the stories told by each stained-glass window, especially the "Legend of the Holy Relic of the Passion" presented on the first window. 📍The church's great sanctuary once housed 22 relics of the Passion of Jesus, the most famous of which were the Crown of Thorns and fragments of the True Cross. These were purchased and preserved here by Louis IX, later Saint Louis, with the cost of the Crown of Thorns reportedly exceeding the construction expenses of the church. However, these relics were severely damaged during the French Revolution, and the remaining relics are now in the Treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral. As a church that once housed holy relics and was the center of French royal power, with its exquisite stained glass, the chapel attracts countless visitors every day. Whenever you pass by, there is always a long line at the door; if you have the opportunity, be sure to come in and witness its splendor. #Paris #Chapel #Travelogue #CulturalHistory #SainteChapelle