It impossible to get full pictures of most of the really spectacular structures here as there is no open space around most of the cathedrals. This chapel was built inside the courtyard of a palace, the rabble had no access to it until after the Revolution.
“The Sainte-Chapelle or ‘Holy Chapel’, in the courtyard of the royal palace on the Île de la Cité (now part of a later administrative complex known as La Conciergerie), was built to house Louis IX’s collection of relics of Christ, which included the Crown of Thorns, the Image of Edessa and some thirty other items. Louis purchased his Passion relics from Baldwin II, the Latin emperor at Constantinople, for the sum of 135,000 livres, though this money was actually paid to the Venetians, to whom the relics had been pawned.”
I found the space to be absolutely beautiful. My awe was in thinking of the master glass men, builders, painters, and masons. This chapel was built in 9 years instead of the 200 needed to build Notre Dame, which is admittedly an order of magnitude larger.
I love the monkey having some sort of conversation with the elephant and the bird. And what about those dragons? I guess they missed the boat.
I suppose I have a bit too much of the proletariat in me though as I can’t banish thoughts running through my mind of the absolute hubris exhibited by those who are born into wealth and power.
2 Comments
Ellen Lindner
July 31, 2015 at 2:44 pmI have that Ste. Chappelle book! Did you figure out why it’s all white? It’s a braille book. I wrote about it on my blog: http://adventurequilter.com/blog/2010/01/most-beautiful-book/
Jayna
June 16, 2015 at 11:05 amI’m so glad you got to see Sainte Chappelle. It is my absolute favorite in Paris. If I only get one stop that is where I will go.
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