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 13th 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 19th 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.
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