– This post was written by Callum Tyler –
There’s no denying that Paris’ Sainte-Chapelle royal chapel is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, it even won Tiqets Venues award Best Landmark last year! But unless you’re an expert on 13th-century stained glass, it’s easy to miss the intricacies depicted on the Sainte-Chapelle stained glass windows that are fast approaching their 800th birthday.
Lucky for you – and us – Christopher Wride has had 25 years to get to know the secrets behind the Sainte-Chapelle’s famous windows and he was willing to spend some time talking all things stained glass with us. So, next time you’re in Paris, make sure you add the Sainte-Chapelle to your itinerary so you can impress the present company with your knowledge of the history of stained glass.
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Meet our insider: Christopher Wride
First of all, who are you and why do you know the Sainte-Chapelle so well?
I’m Christopher Wride and I’m in charge of commercial development and communication for the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle. So it’s part of my job to know a whole lot about the Sainte-Chapelle. Part of my mission is to increase revenue through the privatization of the monuments, general communication, coordination of institutional events, and coordination of diplomatic visits related to this magnificent chapel.
The principal private activity of the Sainte-Chapelle is the public concert season which runs from March through to autumn. While the concerts are not part of our cultural policy, we review the quality of the concerts before they are offered to the general public.
The Sainte-Chapelle is also used for documentary filming, and it’s mostly featured in documentaries on history, architecture, and subjects related to religions. Although the Sainte-Chapelle has not been a consecrated church since the 18th century, we take great care to respect its original functions; for many of our visitors, the chapel retains sacred character, so private events are limited to the organization of corporate concerts. In other words, we do not accept requests for private events such as weddings or personal events which would send a confusing message as to the monument’s secular status.
The chapel is also often chosen as a highlight visit for diplomatic or official visitors to Paris, so we work closely with embassy staff, the authorities of the Palace of Justice, and the military commander to coordinate visits like this. See why I need to know as much as possible about the Sainte-Chapelle?
Definitely! So how long have you worked at the Sainte-Chapelle?
I started in July 1995, so that makes it 25 years. The majority of my work is based in the Conciergerie of the Palace of Justice where we present major temporary exhibitions, host corporate events, official dinners, and fashion shows.
So, what’s kept you in your role with the Sainte-Chapelle for 25 years?
I think the most important aspect of the role for me is being able to work in such emblematic Parisian monuments. I never tire of visiting the Sainte-Chapelle and I am always amazed by the beauty of the upper chapel.
This is what you came for: Sainte-Chapelle stained glass windows in detail
Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass windows are what bring a lot of people to visit the chapel. What exactly do they depict?
The windows of the upper chapel depict scenes from both the Old and New Testaments of the Christian bible. They start with Genesis, the creation of Earth and the heavens, Adam and Eve, and as they continue throughout the chapel, they depict the life, death, and the resurrection of Christ. It culminates in the Apocalypse, or Final Judgment, which is shown in the rose window.
Rose window? I don’t remember any bible stories about roses.
That’s because when we say rose window, we’re referring to stained glass windows of a circular shape, specifically those found in Gothic architecture, most notably in churches and cathedrals. The first rose windows were introduced in Romanesque architecture; they were usually simple stone-carved round windows in the form of a wheel.
The large, highly decorative stained glass rose windows we know of today date from the Gothic period, which started in the 12th century. The window is usually divided into sections that radiate out from a central oculus. During the late Gothic period, rose windows often resembled a flower with petals bursting out from the center in the Flamboyant style. If you look long enough at the Sainte-Chapelle’s rose window, which dates back to around 1495, it almost looks like a huge firework exploding; the colors are incredible.
Is that what makes the Sainte-Chapelle stained glass windows so impressive?
It’s the sheer amount of stained glass in the upper chapel that is so impressive, the supporting walls seem to disappear and one is left with the impression that the whole edifice is made up only of light and colour. The result is quite spectacular.
One of my favourite pastimes is to watch the reaction of visitors as they come into the upper chapel from the spiral staircase – they are simply stunned by the beauty of the windows.
Do you have a particular favourite Sainte-Chapelle stained glass window?
The scene of the Last Supper, depicted in the windows of the Passion of Christ, is one of my favorite panels. It’s the one where you can see Christ surrounded by his disciples, and sitting on the shoulder of Judas is a little green demon or devil. I’m also fond of the beast with seven heads that is depicted in the Apocalypse scene in the rose window.
I consider myself quite lucky as I get to climb up on the reliquary platform and the gallery of the rose window, and see the details of the illustrations up close. Thanks to a new app created by one of our staff members, visitors can also see the windows up close! All you need to do is download our app on your phone and point to any panel in the windows. You can then explore a zoomed-in version of that particular panel on your screen. If you prefer to go old school, you can bring a pair of opera glasses with you to see the detail in the windows.
Speaking of getting up close, have you ever noticed any mistakes in the design of the window panes?
Well, there are 1,113 panels, and some were replaced during the successive restoration campaigns between the Middle Ages and the 19th century. Maybe a few of the panels were not put back in exactly the same sequence as originally intended… However, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed any ‘mistakes’ in the panels themselves.
What’s the best time of day to visit the Sainte-Chapelle to appreciate the stained glass?
Most people believe that the best time to visit the chapel is in summer when the hues of blue and red change from hour to hour in the sunlight. However, I prefer the more harmonious light in winter, when all the windows are lit equally. Having said that, I don’t think there is a bad day to admire the windows, and we even adjust our opening hours in the autumn and winter so that visitors don’t come too late and risk being disappointed by the lack of light. The stained glass windows are not lit artificially from the outside so you do need to visit while there is some daylight.
When you visit the Sainte-Chapelle, is there a particular order in which you should look at the windows?
Strictly speaking, there are no rules when it comes to the order in which to view the windows. Obviously, there is a biblical chronology from Genesis to the Apocalypse that visitors can follow. However, I find that most visitors are inclined to spend the most time on scenes that capture their eye. If you’re looking for some guidance on your visit, we provide detailed descriptions of the windows in the upper chapel as well as audio guides for visitors who want to deep-dive into the imagery depicted in the windows.
Who designed the Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass windows?
No documents actually identify the architect of the Sainte-Chapelle, but it is widely accepted that Pierre de Montreuil, the architect of the Basilica of Saint-Denis and of the transept of Notre Dame Cathedral, oversaw the construction of Sainte-Chapelle. Saint-Denis in Northern Paris displays some magnificent stained glass dating from the same period, and it houses the burial tombs of the French kings from the 7th up to the 19th centuries – 43 kings and 32 queens are buried in the basilica and crypt. The other famous display of stained glass in France is in the Chartres Cathedral, which is about 90 kilometers from Paris. Like the Sainte-Chapelle, the Chartres Cathedral has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
There couldn’t be windows without walls: More about the Sainte-Chapelle building
At nearly 800 years old, the Sainte-Chapelle is an incredibly old building. Does it need a lot of maintenance?
Yes, it does! Thankfully, the chapel is maintained by our public body, the Centre des monuments nationaux, which is a public establishment of the French Ministry of Culture. This public body’s primary mission, apart from opening and maintaining over 100 national monuments, is to conserve, restore, and maintain the monuments that fall under its responsibility.
How many times have the building and the windows been restored?
The steeple of the chapel was first replaced in 1383, and then again in 1460. It was then destroyed by a fire in 1630, and then the replacement steeple was destroyed in 1776. After that, the present steeple wasn’t built until 1855. So, just the steeple has been replaced four times!
The windows have been restored a number of times as well. The original Western Sainte-Chapelle rose window was replaced in 1495; that was recently restored and unveiled to the public in 2016 and it’s now acknowledged as a masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic architecture.
The lateral stained glass windows of the upper chapel were the object of a major restoration in 1765, and the whole chapel underwent an archaeological restoration in the middle of the 19th century – which took almost 20 years to complete. But it was worth it, the result was remarkable and today it’s considered to be a faithful restoration of the chapel that was known by Louis IX, the French king who commissioned Sainte-Chapelle.
The steeple of the chapel was first replaced in 1383, and then again in 1460. It was then destroyed by a fire in 1630, and then the replacement steeple was destroyed in 1776. After that, the present steeple wasn’t built until 1855. So, just the steeple has been replaced four times!
There’ve been a lot of restorations and efforts to protect the windows over the past few centuries. The stained glass has been maintained and restored throughout the 20th century, and all the windows were removed during both World Wars. Several lancets were restored in the 1990s. In 2007, we were very fortunate to receive financing from the Danish Velux Foundations and were able to restore all the northern windows, the rose window, and most of the exterior masonry of the chapel.
An interesting fact about the modern restorations of the windows is that there is a new technique of placing a translucid copy of the stained glass on the outside of the windows which protects it from atmospheric pollution. The double glazing was heat-molded onto the original windows and it is very hard to distinguish this from the outside. Hopefully, these windows are now protected for at least the next 100 years!
You mentioned earlier that the Sainte-Chapelle is an example of Gothic architecture. What are some of the things that make the building distinctively Gothic?
The Sainte-Chapelle is a prime example of Rayonnant Gothic architecture, which is marked by a sense of weightlessness and a strong vertical thrust. This style of architecture allowed for a maximum amount of light to infiltrate churches, cathedrals, and other religious buildings built during the Middle Ages, and it allowed builders to achieve dizzying heights for their vaulted ceilings. However, contrary to most Gothic structures of the period and despite its rich interior decoration, the exterior of Sainte-Chapelle is relatively simple and austere, devoid of the usual flying buttresses or any major sculptures.
It’s said the chapel holds some religious relics – can you tell us about these?
The whole purpose behind building the Sainte-Chapelle was to create a jewel box to house a priceless and holy relic – the Crown of Thorns from the crucifixion of Christ.
The relic was acquired by Louis IX and he commissioned the chapel to house not only the Crown of Thorns but also a multitude of other relics, some relating to Christ, such as a piece of the true cross and the nails used for the crucifixion, as well as some more unusual relics, such as milk from the Virgin Mary and a tear shed by Christ.
The majority of relics were sold or dispersed during the French Revolution in the late 18th century. Others were saved and eventually deposited in the treasury of Notre Dame, until the fire in April 2019. The Crown of Thorns was only shown to the public as part of a veneration event on the 1st Friday of each month until last spring. We presented the Crown of Thorns in the Sainte-Chapelle in 1997, at the request of the clergy during the papal visit of Jean-Paul II, and again in 2014 as part of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the birth of Louis IX, the only French king to be canonized and elevated to sainthood. Today, however, the Sainte-Chapelle no longer houses any relics.
If I were visiting the chapel for the first, what would you recommend I focus on or look out for?
Visitors should take some time to examine the Sainte-Chapelle exterior from the courtyards of the Palace of Justice. The western facade is the most spectacular. That’s where you’ll find the rose window, and when the doors to the upper chapel are open, you can see a myriad of colors of the stained glass.
Often, visitors don’t take the time to look at the chapel’s spire; its sculptures and intricate decorations are really quite impressive. If you look closely, you can still see the blue, azure, and gold polychrome highlights. The best view of the chapel is from the main courtyard of the palace which visitors cross to exit, don’t forget to turn around and admire the pinnacles of the roof, some of which are decorated with huge crowns of thorns.
Planning your visit to the Sainte-Chapelle
How do I get to Sainte-Chapelle?
The Sainte-Chapelle can be found in the heart of Paris, in Île de la Cité, only a ten minute walk from Notre Dame. The Louvre-Rivoli, Pont Neuf, and Gare de Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame metro stations are all close by.
What time does the Sainte-Chapelle close?
The current opening hours are from 11 am to 7 pm, with the last admission being 40 minutes before closing.
The chapel is open every day of the year except for the 1st of May, the 25th of December, and the 1st of January.
How much do Sainte-Chapelle tickets cost?
You can visit this former royal chapel for just €11.50.
Can I get free tickets to the Sainte-Chapelle?
You can visit the Sainte-Chapelle free of charge if you are:
- Under 18 years old (family visitors, excludes student groups)
- A young person between the age of 18 and 25 years old (EU or EEA nationals and assimilated-holders of an EU or EEA residence permit)
- Disabled (aides to disabled persons can also visit free of charge)
Is there a dress code for the Sainte-Chapelle?
Sainte-Chapelle is now a secular building, so there’s no dress code. However, given its deep religious ties (it was built to house the Instruments of the Passions of Christ), you might want to keep your look on the conservative side.
All you need to know about Sainte-Chapelle concerts
If you’re looking for a hit of classical music, then there’s no better place to head than the Île de la Cité to enjoy the acoustics inside the Sainte-Chapelle.
When can I watch one of the Sainte-Chapelle concerts?
The public concert season runs from March through to autumn, with most performances starting at 20:00 and at 18:00 in October.
Who performs at the Sainte-Chapelle concerts?
Usually, French soloists from Euromusic Productions perform at the chapel. You can find a schedule of upcoming concerts here.
How much do tickets for the Sainte-Chapelle concerts cost?
Concert tickets don’t come cheap but remember you’re paying for the chance to listen to a classical concert inside one of the most beautiful chapels in the world. Adult tickets are €40, students and people under the age of 26 usually pay €20 for a ticket, and kids’ tickets are €10.
How do I book Sainte-Chapelle concert tickets?
You can reserve Sainte-Chapelle concert tickets here.
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