Whether churches inspire you or not, your thoughts will be elevated to a spiritual nature after viewing the Sainte-Chapel’s incredible stained glass windows, towering at 6,458 square feet, two-thirds of which are original. The panes on the Upper Chapel tell the biblical story of mankind from Creation through his Redemption through Christ. The sculpture in the Upper Chapel – statues of the Apostles – is located against the columns that mark off the bays.

The awe-inspiring stained glass windows were built from 1242-1248, under the direction of King Louis IX. The upper chapel was for the king’s use and to display rare religious relics of Christ’s passion, including the Crown of Thorns. The lower chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and served as the palace’s parish church. During the French Revolution, the choir stalls and rood screen were destroyed, relics dispersed, the spire torn down, and the organ was carried off to another church. Renovation of the Sainte-Chapel began in 1846, returning the church to the splendor exhibited today. The building housing the Sainte-Chapel, as well as the Conciergerie and now also the Paris law courts, was once the residence and the seat of power for French Kings during the tenth--14th centuries. Called the Palais de la Cité, it was the oldest palace of France’s kings.

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