Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle

Quite a few years ago I took a young man from eastern Texas along with me for a drive to Point Lobos, and Monterey, in California (we had a day off before a conference). Having seen only flat and mostly dry (as in sandy) land all of his life, when we got out of the car at the top of the hill at Point Lobos, I could see in his face that he had indeed “found religion”.  That’s pretty much the affect I suspect parishioners and many other first-time visitors to Sainte-Chapelle felt on seeing the stained glass on the second floor of the chapel for the first time. It’s simply other worldly.

 

This Gothic cathedral was built at the behest of Louis IX specifically to house his collection of Christian relics including Christ’s Crown of Thorns, Image of Edessa and roughly 30 other Christian relics.

While these relics had been purchased from the Emperor of Constantinople, Baldwin II, the money was paid to a Venetian pawnbroker. The relics arrived in Paris, from Venice, in 1239. The King himself carried the relics the final steps, an act memorialized in the “Relics of the Passion” window on the south side of the chapel. Chapel construction started around 1239, and it was consecrated April 26, 1248. Until the chapel was completed the relics were stored mostly in an ornate silver chest, the “Grand-Chasse” at the Chateau de Vincennes and the Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Grand indeed. The case cost nearly three times as much as the chapel itself.

Sainte-Chapelle was designed to use abutments and iron clamps rather than flying buttresses to create the structural integrity required for its 50-foot window openings; fifteen in all. The chapel is the largest in-place 13^th century stained glass installation in the world. Though new restoration is currently underway, thankfully, they have kept as much of the chapel open for public viewing as possible.

Sainte-Chapelle was part of the royal palace compound, Palais de la Citié, or Conciergerie, that has now become part of the French court system. Therefore, one must queue up to pass through metal detectors to enter the court plaza to gain access to the chapel itself. So to avoid long lines it’s actually best to visit the chapel on weekends.

Entry to Sainte-Chapelle is via the lower floor. This floor was utilized as the Parish church for all the inhabitants of the King’s household. While it is quite pleasing, it does little to prepare you for the magnificence of the experience available just a few steps above.

Damaged during the French Revolution, the church was restored in the 19^th Century. Apparently the restoration project adjusted many of the original painted colors to reflect current tastes more so than the original masterwork. In examining paint samples, current restorers have determined that the original colors were quite intense, nearly matching that of the stained glass windows themselves.

Also, fearing the worst during World War II, many of the windows were removed for safer storage. Another restoration is currently underway to return the Chapelle to its original beauty.

About two thirds of the stained glass windows are true originals. Some were destroyed during the French Revolution and some were removed to provide light for construction changes in 1803. Since not all of the glass removed was returned to its original position there is some speculation regarding whether it was misappropriated or simply damaged.

The stone sculptures that decorate the side pillars represent the twelve apostles.

As has become a bit of a habit, after touring the chapel we topped off the day with a bit of famous Berthillon ice cream (mine was hazelnut!) on Ile de Sainte-Louis.

Jardins de Tuileries

Jardins de Tuileries

Beginning at the Place de la Concorde entrance, the Jardins des Tuileries stretches roughly a half mile along the Seine. On its west end are the Musée de L’Orangerie, and the Jeu de Paume museums. The garden then transitions to the Jardin du Carrousel and terminates in the Musée de Louvre.

The Musée de L’Orangerie is an absolute must-see that might get passing mention in most guide books of Paris. If you enjoy the Impressionists and Post Impressionists such as Monet, Renoir, Rousseau, Matisse, Utrillo, Cézanne, Modigliani and others you simply must see this museum with works from Walter Guillaume’s personal collection. The collection wraps you in capsule where you can remember how the pastel sensation of each slight breeze wafted the smell of fresh flowers and turned the corners of your mouth up just a bit as you realized what a wonderful gift your senses really are.

This is also where Monet and architect Camille Lefèvre designed two elliptical shaped rooms to display his Nymphéas (water-lilies) panels. These are monumental wall panels covering (by my estimation) 500 feet of wall (between the two rooms). That’s a lot of painting! The rooms, roughly 100’ by 30’ each, were created to mimic the natural diffused light of two different seasons of the area where he painted, as well as to provide an uninterrupted, uncluttered viewing space.

Unfortunately, photography is not permitted (hence the flowery description).

Moving back outside, the Tuileries gardens are yet another Parisian landscaped marvel that includes pathways through canopies of chestnut tree colonnades, exemplary fountains, didactic and heroic statuary, meter after meter of pruned hedge rows and topiary, flower beds and a comfortable place to sit and relax just about everywhere you look.

There’re plenty of examples of true pain and anguish expressed so deeply in stone that whatever your problems, it would seem they pale in comparison. I can’t think of a woman alive who wouldn’t appreciate this somewhat zaftig woman immortalized in bronze.

If you’d like to get away from the crowds in a bit of personal space there are row after row of hedges punctuated with statuary that simply beg you to lay out a blanket and enjoy a picnic.

Let's not forget the pets. There’s plenty of room for dogs of all sizes to play fetch with their neighbors.

Of course there are the ever-present Eiffel Tower key ring hawkers.

But French police are all over the park on foot and bikes keeping order.

And there are the "artists" nearby on the Seine. I'm not really certain they're doing anything to the painting other than applying a color wash but...

Or perhaps it's a balloon you'd like, from a vendor who looks as if he's got a lot of other things to do.

While French parks typically include some wonderful modern playground equipment, Parisians make a concerted effort to retain the simple memories of youth such as a puppet show stage and theater (picture from Parc de Buttes-Chaumont), to glider chair swings. Even the very contemporary Parc de Villette has its pedal-powered surreys.

The Tuileries garden is especially noted for its toy sailboat rental fleet. Children plead for an opportunity to shepherd their colorful craft around the base of the fountain. You simply can’t miss the giddy smiles and squeals of delight, or the intensity of effort directed toward setting a wind-powered craft off to discover the other side of the fountain. 

Ultimately though, boys (being boys) simply have to take the opportunity to explain the finer points of seamanship to a willing girl’s satisfaction.

The parks are for kids of all ages. Maybe you want to soak up some long absent sun with a few friends.

On our most recent trip back one area of the garden looked like they took the boardwalk from Seaside Heights, New Jersey and transported it to Paris, France.

Pretty exhausted from yet another full day, somehow we seem often to finish the day with ice cream!