Sainte Chapelle
Sainte Chapelle
Sainte Chapelle
THE HOLY CHAPEL
Sainte-Chapelle (holy chapel) was originally the royal chapel located in the Conciergerie of the Palais de la Cité until the 14th century. Sainte-Chapelle is famous for its abundance of gothic stained glass windows with an intimacy and unity that are second to none.
Good alternative to Notre-Dame!
My Rating:
The positives:
Simply stunning windows. The light streaming through the colourful stained glass in the upper chapel is divine.
The negatives:
There isn’t always a lot of room to move around, as the church is so small and the waiting line long. With that in mind...
Top tip:
...Buy your ticket online and avoid waiting in two queues!
Last Modified: 18.01.2024 | Céline & Jacqueline
Sainte Chapelle
Tickets
1 Minute
at the Sainte-Chapelle
Small insight
With this video we want to give you a little insight into the Sainte-Chapelle, without showing to much of the big picture.
Come along and let yourself be enchanted by the colorful glass works!
Your Celine
The details
at a glance
Opening Hours
October 1. – March 31.:
daily, 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
The ticket offices close 30 minutes before
The official website recommends visiting in the morning.
With an online ticket, you can certainly do well in the afternoon as well.
Public holidays:
January 1st, May 1st, December 25th closed
Prices
EUR 13 for adults
free admission for children under 18, EU citizens under 26, with Paris Museums Pass (without Skip the line)
free admission for everyone on the 1st Sunday of the month (November – March)
Combined ticket Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie: EUR 20
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Paris Museums Pass
The Paris Museums Pass is available for 2, 4 or 6 days.
-> More about the Paris Museums Pass
Sainte Chapelle
Photo Gallery
What is there
to see?
Sainte-Chapelle is famous for its abundance of gothic stained glass windows with an intimacy and unity that are second to none.
You could easily walk past the church without realising. Sandwiched between buildings belonging to the Palais de Justice, it’s nothing special on the outside. But don’t let that fool you or put you off! The long queues of tourists at the entrance should be enough to give the game away.
You start off in the lower chapel, which is a beautiful space spoilt slightly by the souvenir shop and audio guide desk. Don’t let that bother you, though, as everyone knows that the upper chapel is the star of the show here.
You make your way up a narrow spiral staircase and have your breath taken away by a room with stained glass windows all the way around it. The light floods in through the exceptionally tall and beautifully colourful windows. And the effect is transcendent. These 15 windows are 15 metres high and two thirds of them date all the way back to the 13th century. They tell the story of mankind, from creation to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You can even download the ‘Sainte-Chapelle Stained Glass’ app if you want to zoom in and learn more about what each of the windows means.
If you’re as lucky as I was, the sun will be streaming through some of the windows and filling the room with a pretty rose-gold light that is out of this world. The chances are that you will be so blown away by the chapel that you’ll forget to look more closely at the details to start with. But there is plenty to be admired beyond the stained glass. Make sure you take the time to appreciate the ceiling, statues, columns and relics.
LATEST
HINTS
- Since Notre-Dame can no longer be visited, the frequency at the Sainte-Chapelle increases.
- There are very thorough security checks as the Sainte Chapelle is in the Palace of Justice complex. Unfortunately, everyone has to go through here …
- … but a skip the line ticket is given preferential treatment. This saves you waiting time and you don’t even have to stop at the cash desk, which is inside. So it’s worth twice!
- There is no elevator to the upper chapel. You have to go up the narrow spiral staircase. Not suitable for wheelchairs.
Sainte Chapelle
A bit of history
Sainte-Chapelle (holy chapel) was originally the royal chapel located in the Conciergerie of the Palais de la Cité until the 14th century.
The chapel is a stunning example of high gothic architecture. Construction began in 1242 and was complete just six years later in 1248. Originally designed to house the relics of the Passion of Christ, it was not open to the general public to start with. In fact, only the King and his right-hand men were granted entry to the upper chapel.
The relics had belonged to the Emperors of Constantinople since the 4th century. When Louis IX acquired them, he boosted the standing of France and its capital in particular, making Paris the second most significant city in Christendom after Jerusalem. As you can imagine, Sainte-Chapelle was a building of religious and political importance. It should come as no surprise, then, that it suffered some serious damage during the French Revolution. By some miracle, the stained glass windows remained intact.
Sadly, the cross and Christ’s crown of thorns relics were melted down at that time. The surviving relics continue to be stored in the cathedral treasury of Notre-Dame.
From 1846, the chapel underwent extensive restoration work to transform it into the building we know and love today. It was most recently restored between 2008 and 2014.
Official website of the Sainte Chapelle: sainte-chapelle.fr
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2019 – 2024
With the support of Jacqueline Glarner
