La Sainte Chapelle -- Paris
Aug. 10th, 2007 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
la_rainetteLa Sainte Chapelle blows my mind, every single time.
The Sainte Chapelle was built under Louis IX (Saint Louis, yes, that Saint Louis); it stood within the king's castle walls, which at the time was a sort of a political statement in and by itself.
The old king's castle has since been destroyed, and the chapelle is now surrounded by the Palais de Justice, the court of justice. The Main Door offers a double way in, one for the tourists, and the other one for the people who are to appear in court for one reason or another. I find this quite amusing. :D
You first make your way into the lower chapel, with its beautiful, ornate ceilings. And then you take the small stairs up to the Upper Chapel and you get hit smack in the chest by the unbelievable beauty of the huge stained glass windows. I do mean huge: they're easily 30 feet tall.
It is imperative to visit the Sainte Chapelle on a sunny day, to experience the glory and the delicacy of the stained glass at its best.
And I have a soft spot for this picture :).
I am a little frustrated though, because no picture can capture the awe you feel when you enter the place, the way your breath catches in your throat because OMG so much beauty! So much light!
So when you go to Paris, make sure to visit this place. It's not the most obvious church to find, since hey, it's INSIDE THE COURT OF JUSTICE, but it's completely worth the effort of looking for it and of queuing in the relentless sun.
More pictures yet to come! With the Louvre! The Arc de Triomphe! And of course, the Eiffel Tower. :D
The Sainte Chapelle was built under Louis IX (Saint Louis, yes, that Saint Louis); it stood within the king's castle walls, which at the time was a sort of a political statement in and by itself.
The old king's castle has since been destroyed, and the chapelle is now surrounded by the Palais de Justice, the court of justice. The Main Door offers a double way in, one for the tourists, and the other one for the people who are to appear in court for one reason or another. I find this quite amusing. :D
You first make your way into the lower chapel, with its beautiful, ornate ceilings. And then you take the small stairs up to the Upper Chapel and you get hit smack in the chest by the unbelievable beauty of the huge stained glass windows. I do mean huge: they're easily 30 feet tall.
It is imperative to visit the Sainte Chapelle on a sunny day, to experience the glory and the delicacy of the stained glass at its best.
And I have a soft spot for this picture :).
I am a little frustrated though, because no picture can capture the awe you feel when you enter the place, the way your breath catches in your throat because OMG so much beauty! So much light!
So when you go to Paris, make sure to visit this place. It's not the most obvious church to find, since hey, it's INSIDE THE COURT OF JUSTICE, but it's completely worth the effort of looking for it and of queuing in the relentless sun.
More pictures yet to come! With the Louvre! The Arc de Triomphe! And of course, the Eiffel Tower. :D
