Sainte Chapelle – Hours, Tickets, Facts, History, Pictures

Sainte Chapelle is a Gothic-style Church located in Paris, France, just around the corner from the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, which is also the reason why tourists often ignore the place while visiting Paris.

Constructed during the reign of the obsessively pious Louis IX, who ruled between 1214-1270, this marvelous structure houses the oldest stained-glass windows in Paris. The Chapel was originally constructed over a span on three years at an exorbitant budget to house the monarch’s collection of relics that were accumulated over the years from the impoverished rulers of Constantinople.

Some of the most notable relics include fragments of the Cross, Christ’s Crown of Thorns, and drops of Christ’s blood, whose authenticity has been questioned multiple times since King Louis IX’s reign.

While most of the original collection was either lost or destroyed during the Revolution, some of the relics are on display today at the Treasury of the Notre Dame.

Sainte Chapelle – History

La Sainte Chapelle, which roughly translates to the Holy Chapel, was built on the island where Paris was founded. Construction began in 1240 and continued till 1248. The magnificent stone and glass construction is a typical example of Gothic architecture from that era.

La Sainte Chapelle endured heavy damage during the French Revolution where the Steeple was torn down and Louis IX’s collections were removed. The relics that we see today were added sometime back in 1815 during the restoration of the church.

During the more recent restoration, which we will discuss shortly, the entire glass façade was glued together, increasing the stability of the structure while remaining invisible to the public eye.

A Miracle of Medieval Engineering and Architecture

Eight centuries before the glass pyramids of the Louvre were constructed, Gothic engineers and masons designed and built these almost weightless walls using stained glass. It was the first of its kind at the time as neither the Greeks, nor the Byzantines and Romans had accomplished such a feat.

Even though its history is highly debated, most people believe that Pierre de Montreuil was the chief architect of La Sainte Chapelle. He obsessed over pushing the limits of Roman knowledge of arches. Montreuil’s arches were taller, sharper and featured vaulting, which distributed the roof’s load across multiple columns.

The Sainte Chapelle is the best example of his design language, as the entire weight of the roof and glass windows is supported by the stone columns, which can withstand just as much load as a modern-day steel and concrete structure.

A statue was built in his honor on the façade of Hotel de Ville.

A narrow spiral staircase by the entrance leads the way to the Upper Chapel, which reveals the true beauty of Sainte Chapelle. The 6,458sq-ft painted glass structure is supported by a stone network that disappears momentarily with the colorful sunlight streaming through the glass windows.

The primary shades of red and blue dominate the design, which is quite different from the lighter medieval hues that is prominent on the famed Rose Windows of the Notre Dame. The use of bold and bright colors was prevalent during this era, bearing testimony to the true age of the Sainte Chapelle.

The structure is like a gigantic lantern, lighting up the 1,130 Biblical figures that are etched on the walls of the Upper Chapel, in bright lights. Each of the 15 windows and walls were meticulously disassembled and cleaned with laser during the restoration of the Chapel, which took over four decades to complete. Sainte Chapelle reopened to the public in 2014 to coincide with the 800^th Birth Anniversary of St. Louis.

Apart from the humongous glass panels, the intricately carved columns and statues of the Apostles deserve a special mention. The lower Chapel is dark and gloomy compared to the Upper Chapel, but the low-vaulted ceiling is decorated with fleur-de-lis and cleverly placed Ls for “Louis.”

Tips to Visiting Sainte Chapelle

Sainte Chapelle receives over 900,000 visitors from around the world every year. Lucky ones get to visit the chapel during the Classical Music Concerts held on the premises. We recommend buying tickets to the show in advance, online to check on the concerts that are held. Here is the official website to buy tickets. Ticketholders are frisked and led to the interiors of the Church, where expert musicians play the classical tunes composed by the masters.

The Chapel is included in the Paris Pass

Saint Chapelle – Hours (Timings)

La Saint Chapelle is open to the public every day from 9.00 AM to 5 PM between January 2 and March 31.

From April 1 to September 30, the chapel remains open every day between 9 AM and 7 PM.

From October 1 to December 31, the tourists can visit La Sainte Chapelle every day between 9 am and 5 PM.

Visitors are allowed to enter the chapel 30 minutes before closing time at the latest.

Sainte Chapelle – Ticket Prices

As mentioned, it is recommended to buy your ticket online from the official website. Visitors need to pay an entrance fee of 10 Euro per head. If you are a group of over 20 people, the rates reduce to 8 Euro per head. School field trips are cheaper at 30 Euro for the entire group, while entry is complimentary for people below 26 years of age.

This ticket grants entry to the chapel only and not the Conciergerie. Combined tickets are also available and is priced at 15 Euro per head and 12.50 Euro including group discounts.

Best time to visit Sainte Chapelle

Even though the beauty of chapel is at its peak during sunset, the crowd can get out of hand at times. The chapel is at its quaint best during weekday mornings, and tourists are advised to plan their trip during these dull times in order to enjoy the magnificence of the chapel, without having to swim in a sea of people. Pick a sunny day for the trip, as the Upper Chapel radiates maximum magnificence in sunlight. When the sun sets, the light comes streaming in through the stained windows, making the entire view surreal.