Biography of the Sainte Chapelle
The Sainte-Chapelle, French for Holy Chapel, is located in Paris, France. It was built in the traditional gothic style for the time, and it was accomplished over the span of seven years . Cohen mentions Sainte-Chapelle’s original purpose was to be a religious temple for previous Christian vestiges, it is rumored that should Christ’s Holy Grail ever have been found it would have been placed here. Moreover, The Shroud of Turin likely would have been put here, as well . The supposed crown of thorns worn by Christ at the time of his death, according to Weiss, was housed here upon the structure’s completion, allowing for King Louis IX of France’s eventual rise to the head of Christianity. He had initially commissioned for the church to be built, as he was the one with the collection of Christian relics that needed displaying. While it is said the Sainte-Chapelle is a magnificent triumph of Gothic architecture, it is simultaneously a structure that inhibited science and technology a great deal based on the oppressive roots it was born.
Construction of the Holy Chapel began in 1238, and, “Officially began displaying the King’s pieces in April of 1248,” as stated by Colomban. Today, it remains one of the greatest representations of gothic architecture that stands today. During the French Revolution, it was damaged slightly but restored to its former glory some time throughout the nineteenth century. One of the most incredible pieces of the structure is the stained glass windows. It is said to have the most extensive collection of stained glass housed in any one building in the entire world. There are fifteen panels of stained glass, each measuring slightly over fifteen meters high. With over thirty-five colors painstakingly crafted into the glass in varying shades and hues, they depict over one-thousand scenes from both the new and old testaments. The structure was to be a continuous testament to religion in the classical gothic style. What many are unaware of today is its initial purpose was also to be a royal chapel, whose service would be unto the King throughout the Fourteenth Century.
The church was also built to protect and display pieces such as the Image of Edessa. King Louis IX boasted over thirty other religious items of note, though many have gone unconfirmed throughout the ages; some theological historians believe the king bought pieces of the true cross from the Romans and the Holy Lance that speared Christ from . Additional security measures, such as a large silver chest, were eventually added to display his treasures, but also keep them safe. There is evidence he purchased several from emperors and rulers around the world, through what they exactly remained unknown. Assuming the relics truly existed, according to Cohen, the pieces were housed in different churches throughout France until the completion of the Holy Chapel. The Sainte-Chapelle cost King Louie IX slightly over 40,000 lives to complete in such a short amount of time.
Even after the King’s religious memorabilia was placed in the church, it still served as a place for the people to worship. His cultural and artistic ambitions fueled initially by the architecture of the Sainte-Chapelle and his religious collection placed him at the head of Christianity in the region. Essentially, the Holy Church became more than a church and instead became a head of operations for the King. As the King began to spend more time at Saint-Chapelle, conducting business and almost taking up residence within its walls. The churches began to emulate a King’s palace across Europe, whether they were housing royalty or not, thus showing how Sainte-Chapelle and King Louis IX began several trends within their day without realizing it at the time.
The Saint Chapelle’s stained glass featured here, is the greatest of its kind. With panels that are the highest in the world, the art is unparalleled. Each portrait features a different depiction from the Bible.
The interior of Saint Chapelle with magnificent ceilings .
The arches in the Saint Chapelle were one of the most tedious parts of the structure to complete. Their arches were also one of the most expensive. Tourists often remark on how complex they are .
The displays of vibrant stained glass windows inside the Saint Chapelle making it appear more beautiful .
When combined, the effects of the stained glass and the arches are magnificent. King Louis IX insisted he had the most eloquent church in the area to house his artifacts. Today, the Saint Chapelle remains one of the most beautiful standing structure.
The massive Saint Chapelle stands tall and looks extremely beautiful along with large numbers of tourists .
The gothic architecture style of exterior makes it stand out among the other structures. Saint Chapelle had been a house of French kings till the 14th century, located in the Paris, France. The exquisite nature of work executed by various artists makes it a great achievement of Raymond period of Gothic architecture. In addition to Conciergerie, it is considered to be one of the earliest structures surviving on the Île de la Cité. It went through the damage during French revolution but due to its extensive glass and other strong constructive material, it sustained the damage. The exterior of Chapelle is a sight of many features of Rayonnant architecture such as vast windows, crocketed gables, and pinnacles surrounding deep buttresses. Despite the grandeur appreciated by the world, the various artists involved in the designing and construction of Saint Chapelle are anonymous and not know to the world. The two-story design is inspired by chapels of Amiens Cathedral and Noyon Cathedral. It took seven years to complete the massive structure of Saint Chapelle. The exterior of Saint Chapelle is relatively straightforward than other chapels in the surrounding area . The vibrant and beautiful display of stained glass inside the Saint Chapelle
The interior of Saint Chapelle is extensively designed by artists who are not known till date. The richest decoration in inside makes it a precious reliquary of its time. Saint Chapelle is heavily decorated with stained glass, in addition to that colorful wall paint and décor makes it unique. It is mainly decorated with stained glass and walls are painted with vibrant colors.The great stained glass windows deployed in Saint Chapelle is finest of its kind in the world. The stained glass windows display an iconographical shape illustrating the New Testament with few scenes of the life of evangelist John and the Passion with the infancy of Christ. Stained glass windows are depicting art of Old Testament exemplars of ideal kingship. King Louis carefully made his artist construct the beautiful grandeur Saint Chapelle .
Works Cited
Blum, Christopher Olaf. "Art And Politics In The Sainte-Chapelle Of Paris." Logos: A Journal Of Catholic Thought And Culture 4.2 (2001): 13-31. Print.
Cohen, Meredith. "An Indulgence for the Visitor: The Public at the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris." Speculum: The Medieval Academy of America 83.4 (2008): 840-883. Print.
Colomban, Philippe and Aurelie Tournie. "On-site Raman identification and dating of ancient/modern stained glasses at the Sainte-Chapelle, Paris." Journal of Cultural Heritage 8.3 (2007): 242-256. Print.
Hutterer, Maile. "The Sainte-Chapelle And The Construction Of Sacral Monarchy: Royal Architecture In Thirteenth-Century Paris." Speculum: The Medieval Academy of America 91.2 (2016): 479-480. Print.
Weiss, Daniel H. "Architectural Symbolism and the Decoration of the Ste.-Chapelle." The Art Bulletin 77.2 (1995): 308-320. Print.
