Sainte-Chapelle
Paris
The Sainte-Chapelle is the Gothic jewel of the Île de la Cité. It is a two-storey chapel built for King Louis IX and consecrated in 1248.
A chapel for the king's relics
King Louis IX, later called Saint Louis, wanted a worthy place for the relics of the Passion. The chapel was consecrated on 26 April 1248, after only a few years of work.
It stood inside the kings' palace, on the island in the middle of the Seine. The lower floor was for the palace staff, the upper one for the king and his family.
What to look at from outside
From the street, on Boulevard du Palais, you can see the spire. It reaches 75 metres above the ground. It is made of wood and was built in the middle of the 1800s.
The chapel is narrow and very tall, with no side aisles. The walls are thin because the windows take up almost all the space.
The kings' palace on the island
For centuries the Île de la Cité was the centre of power. Kings lived in the palace, and their advisers and judges worked there.
After 1360 the kings moved elsewhere and the palace became the seat of justice. That is where today's name comes from: Palais de Justice.
