Sainte-Chapelle was built by King Louis IX of France in 1246 on the Ile de la Cité in the heart of Paris. Louis IX was known for his unrelenting devotion as a Catholic, and his purpose in building Sainte-Chapelle was to create a reliquary of Christ's Passion. The History of Sainte-Chapelle
Sainte-Chapelle was built by King Louis IX of France in 1246 on the Ile de la Cité in the heart of Paris. Louis IX was known for his unrelenting devotion as a Catholic, and his purpose in building Sainte-Chapelle was to create a reliquary of Christ's Passion.
An oral tradition that goes back to the sixteenth century, attributes the building of the Sainte-Chapelle and of the Chartes treasury to Pierre de Montreuil (1200-66), master mason at the abbey of St Denis and chief architect of the transept at Notre-Dame in Paris.
The Chapelle was formally consecrated on 26 April 1248 in the presence of the papal Legate, Eudes de Chateauroux, who dedicated the upper chapel to the Holy Cross, and of Pierre Berruyer, archbishop of Bourges, who consecrated the lower chapel to the Virgin.
Built in seven years, an impressive feat, the Sainte Chapelle was intended to house precious Christian relics, including Christ's crown of thorns, acquired by Saint Louis. Religious and political influence. Having these sacred relics in his possession made the already powerful monarch head of western Christianity.
The Sainte Chapelle is made of two different chapels: the lower chapel, originally dedicated to the the officers, and the upper chapel, dedicated to the king and his family.
The Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) was commissioned by King Louis IX (Saint-Louis) possibly from architect Pierre of Montreuil between 1242 and 1248 in the Palais de la Cité, then the royal residence. Consecrated in 1248, the sacred shrine was designed to house the relics of the Passion of Christ.
Abbot Suger was a French oblate, or member of the church in the public sector, who is considered to be one of the father's of Gothic architecture. He is known for his renovations of Saint-Denis abbey, which was a religious and trading center tied to the French king.
A symbol of royalty gone wrong A true symbol of the monarchy, the Sainte-Chapelle was one of the first targets of French Revolutionaries in 1789. While two-thirds of its stained glass windows are original, different restorations throughout the chapel's history have removed some of its panels.
Gothic architectureFrench Gothic architectureSainte-Chapelle/Architectural styles
Sainte Chapelle emerges as a jewel of Gothic architecture, a reliquary-shaped building whose walls are of glass rather than stone. This variant of Gothic is known as Rayonnant, after the radiating patterns that so often appear in its windows.
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.
April 26, 1248Sainte-Chapelle / Opened
The Gothic style of architecture was strongly influenced by the Romanesque architecture which preceded it; by the growing population and wealth of European cities, and by the desire to express national grandeur.
What were the two major characteristics of Gothic architecture? The two major characteristics of the Gothic cathedral are increased height and large stained-glass windows.
The Gothic style originated in 12th-century CE France in a suburb north of Paris, conceived of by Abbot Suger (1081-1151 CE), a powerful figure in French history and the mastermind behind the first-ever Gothic cathedral, the Basilica of Saint-Denis.
In addition to creating a valuable reliquary, Louis IX was also driven to build Sainte-Chapelle for political power . He wanted to become the central monarch of western Christianity, creating a chapel comparable to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. [3] Incredibly, Sainte-Chapelle was completed in only 2 short years.
The building began 5 years later in 1246, with the consecration of the final work on April 26, 1248.
In 1239, Louis IX purchased the supposed crown that Jesus Christ was wearing as he was crucified, the Crown of Thorns. Louis purchased it from Baldwin II, the impoverished Latin emperor at Constantinople, for 135,000 livres. This was four times as much as the building of Sainte-Chapelle, the chapel itself costing a large sum of 40,000 livres. Precious items such as the True Cross were also housed in the cathedral with up to 50 other relics of Christ’s Passion. In addition to creating a valuable reliquary, Louis IX was also driven to build Sainte-Chapelle for political power. He wanted to become the central monarch of western Christianity, creating a chapel comparable to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. [3]#N#Incredibly, Sainte-Chapelle was completed in only 2 short years. The initial planning started in 1241 primarily by Pierre de Montreuil who desined Saint-Denis and part of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. The building began 5 years later in 1246, with the consecration of the final work on April 26, 1248.#N#Sainte-Chapelle was relatively preserved during the French Revolution, as it was converted into an administrative office. The windows were blocked by huge filing cabinets which unintentionally protected them from the vandalism during the Revolution. The choir stalls and rood screen were amongst the things destroyed, however, and the spire was pulled down. M ost of the precious relics of Louis IX were unfortunately destroyed or lost. The few relics that were salvaged after the Revolution are now in the treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral. In the 19th century and during World War II, the windows were removed for a short time for their protection. After the war they were carefully reinstalled—a considerably lengthy and judicious task. [1,2]#N#Felix Duban and Jean-Baptiste Lassus began restoration of the chapel in the 19th century with completion in 1836 by Emile Boeswillwald. Eugène. Viollet-le-Duc also contributed to the repairs, rebuilding the spire atop the chapel in his own design. When compared to the surviving descriptions and drawings of the early chapel, the restorations seem to be rather true to the Sainte-Chapelle’s original design. [2]
The few relics that were salvaged after the Revolution are now in the treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral. In the 19th century and during World War II, the windows were removed for a short time for their protection.
Sainte-Chapelle was relatively preserved during the French Revolution, as it was converted into an administrative office. The windows were blocked by huge filing cabinets which unintentionally protected them from the vandalism during the Revolution.