Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle, palace chapel built by King Louis IX during the 13th century and a famous example of late Gothic architecture. Constructed on the Île de la Cité, an island in the center of Paris, the Sainte-Chapelle was planned as a shrine for religious relics that Louis IX acquired from Constantinople in 1239. Pierre de Montereau, one of the greatest Gothic architects, was its designer. Construction began between 1239 and 1243; the chapel was consecrated in 1248. It stands as perhaps the best Gothic church of small dimensions. The Sainte-Chapelle measures 35 m by 11 m (114 ft by 36 ft). It was constructed in the finest and most elaborate manner of the time, with metal clamps to strengthen the delicate masonry and sculptural, ceramic, and painted decoration to enrich it.

The ground floor contains three aisles, with openwork interior buttresses to take up the thrust of the wide central span. The main story, which is 20 m (about 66 ft) high, is entered from the principal level of the palace and has a small alcove that was reserved for the royal family. The main nave is famous for a complete set of stained-glass windows, largely from the 13th century. The exterior porch at the west, the rose window and pinnacles, and the flèche, or tower, have been rebuilt in modern times.