On Tuesday we went to Sainte Chapelle (the Holy Chapel), built by St. Louis, king Louis IX of France, who built it to house several relics, including a portion of the crown of thorns, now housed at Notre Dame.
What can I say? Taking pictures of a church that’s mostly stained glass is kind of difficult, but I gave it a shot.
Upon entering Sainte Chapelle, you arrive in the lower chapel, which is where the servants worshipped. It doesn’t have the grandeur of the upper chapel, but it’s still pretty.
Upstairs is the main chapel where the royal family worshiped. It is stunning. But also hard to truly capture in a photograph.
Each of the stained glass windows depicts scenes from one or two books of the Bible (except for one window which depicts the history of the chapel and its relics). It’s Old Testament along the sides and a mix of Old and New Testament behind the altar. The passion is depicted right behind the altar, presumably explaining the lack of a crucifix. This is a closer view of the front of the church and altar.
This is an individual panel from the Book of Job. It appears to be when Job’s comforters come to taunt him about his failed broccoli harvest. Um…I admit that I can’t cite the specific chapter and verse where this happens.
Finally we end with the rose window in the back depicting the apocalypse. There are much better pictures available elsewhere online, so take a few seconds to look them up if you really want to see it.
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