Saint-Chapelle. Attractions in Paris

Departing on the route Moscow-Paris, we are looking forward to a fabulous unforgettable vacation. The opportunity to get acquainted with architectural masterpieces and works of art, visit the most "star" restaurants, make purchases in the most fashionable shops and much more - all this will give you a trip to Paris.

Medieval Paris

But there was another Paris - a medieval one. It is located on the banks of the Seine, where it developed as an imperial capital. The right bank was a shopping center, where already in 1183 appeared the indoor market Les Halless. And on the left bank, many church schools, monasteries, and colleges were built.

In 1163 the Notre Dame Cathedral was built . Later, during the reign of Philip the Second August, the construction of the Louvre began. And his very pious grandson Louis (Louis the Ninth Saint) built the magnificent church of Saint-Chapelle and Saint-Denis.

Paris was a state and religious center and by the 14th century it had become the largest European city, in which almost two hundred thousand people lived.

Relics

Thanks to Louis the Saint, Paris was considered the second capital of Christianity. It was he who, from the 7th and 8th Crusades, brought to France very important values for Christians that had long been kept in Constantinople:

• Part of the Cross of the Lord;
• The crown of thorns of the Savior;
• Longin's spear.

Especially for the storage of these relics, Louis built Saint-Chapelle. The desire to possess these shrines was so great that for the Crown of Thorns, Louis laid out at that time a fabulous sum of 135,000 livres.

Chapel of Saint Chapelle

The majestic architectural monument of the Middle Ages is located in the center of Paris on the island of Cité, adjacent to the Palace of Justice and the Conciergerie prison (where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before her execution). This cathedral is truly a masterpiece of the architectural structure of the mature Gothic period.

In addition, the Holy Chapel played an important role in raising the authority of the king, as it contained a large number of different values and holy relics. The chapel of Saint-Chapelle for a long time was considered the main chapel-relic until the revolution, during which it was badly damaged in the fire.

The Catholics, trying to save the holy relics from the excesses of the revolutionaries, hid them in different places. The Savior's crown was even cut into three parts.

And only in 1806 the shrines were collected in one place, but they were already placed in the treasury of Notre-Dame de Paris, where they are still kept today.

The building itself was successfully reconstructed in the 19th century. Jean-Baptiste Lassius, Violet de Luc and Felix Duban were working on the restoration. The roof, spire, outer staircase, stained-glass windows and interior decoration were repaired.

Building

The construction of Saint-Chapelle in Paris was conducted on the site of the former Royal Palace and was completed in the shortest period for the Middle Ages. The process was headed by Pierre de Montreuil. During the construction of the chapel, unique technologies were used, namely metal structures (they were actively used in construction only six centuries later). The armature, which permeates the entire space of the church, the architect was able to very skillfully weave into the reinforcement of the stained-glass windows.

Thanks to this technique, it was possible to achieve a feeling of lightness and infinity of the upper part of the building. Outside, a powerful foundation and heavy buttresses go as if to counterbalance this ease. The material for construction was a very strong light sandstone.

Despite its small size (length - 35 meters, width - 17 meters and height - 43 meters), Saint-Chapelle amazes with its elegance and grace.

The cathedral consists of two chapels, upper and lower, which are connected by a spiral staircase. The spire is crowned by the figure of Archangel Michael, and on the roof are the sisters of the chimeras of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris.

The Lower Chapel

The lower chapel serves as a kind of foundation. On its low vaults (6.6 meters), which are supported by massive columns, it holds the weight of the entire building. Initially, the lower chapel of Saint-Chapelle was intended for the worship of court ranks.

The lower chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary is consecrated. At the entrance to the building visitors meet her statue. Most of the drawings and sculptural decoration in the temple were restored in the 19th century. But there are also unique things, for example, a fresco of the 13th century, which illustrates the Annunciation and is the oldest in Paris murals. Also here you can see the coat of arms of Queen Blanqui of Castile (mother of Louis the Ninth), 12 bas-reliefs with images of the apostles.

The Upper Chapel

In comparison with the modest interior of the lower chapel, the top strikes with its splendor and luxury. For a long time, the entrance to this part of the building was possible only through the gallery that adjoined the king's chambers. It was here that the silver carcass with gilded copper was displayed, in which the holy relics were kept:

• Crown of the Savior;
• Part of the Cross;
• The covering of Saint John's head;
• Milk of the Virgin;
• Icon "The Savior Not Made by Hands" and other values.

All this was purchased by Louis the Ninth in 1239. So it was until the revolution, during which the Great Cancer was destroyed.

Only the king and members of the royal family could visit the upper chapel. The upper chapel of Saint-Chapelle is consecrated in honor of Jesus Christ. Here, as in the lower part, most of the masterpieces restored in the 19th century. But there are miraculously survivors. The original is the statue of the five apostles. Among them is the statue of St. Peter, who holds the keys to paradise in his hands.

Ornaments in the form of leaves, which adorn the capitals of the side walls, never repeat. The decoration of the cathedral used a lot of images of the royal flower - the lily. Angels, depicted in ornaments, recreate scenes of 42 torments. The ceiling of the chapel is strewn with golden stars.

Windows of Light

But still the world fame Cathedral St-Chapel brought stained glass. The upper chapel, whose height is more than 20 meters, does not have walls - all of them are replaced by huge window apertures. These windows are filled with medieval stained-glass windows, the total area of which is 600 meters. Most of them are an excellent reproduction, but there are also originals.

There are 1113 biblical scenes on fifteen stained glass windows. Fourteen stained glass windows "read" from left to right, viewing them, you can learn the entire history of the world from birth to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The stained-glass window "The history of the relics of the Passion of Christ" is the only one that is read "along the serpentine", from the bottom left to right, and then from the right to the left. It describes the scene of the discovery of St. Helen's relics in Jerusalem and their arrival in France.

Opposite is an unusual stained-glass window - the Western Rose. It reaches nine meters in diameter, illustrates the scenes of the apocalypse. In the center of the rose, Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead at the end of the world.

On the central stained-glass windows you can see Christ, John the Theologian and John the Baptist. The rest depicted stories from the Old Testament. The blue and red colors, which predominate in the decor of the room, give the chapel a special brightness and color.

It is best to visit Saint-Chapelle in sunny weather, then these stained-glass windows give an extraordinary light, with a feeling of touching something very great.

How to get there

If you want to admire this masterpiece of French high Gothic, first of all you need to buy a ticket Moscow-Paris. And already on the site there are many options to visit Saint-Chapelle.

Traveling in Paris by car, you need to go along the Seine to the Boulevard du Pale, turn on it and you will be at the target. Or you can get there by bus - the routes that take you to the cathedral are many. If you move around the city by metro, then you need to go to the station Cite.

Visiting the cathedral will cost eight euros, while young people from 18 to 25 years - six euros, and children under 18 can go on a tour for free. Or you can buy a museum card, which costs from 39 to 69 euros, depending on the validity period. On it you can visit most other sights of Paris.

Reviews

Tourists who visited the Cathedral of Saint-Chapelle, happy to share their feedback. Basically this is, of course, the words of admiration and delight. This small but majestic building evokes some special feelings and emotions.

The only thing that does not work out is to enjoy the beauty alone, and most likely you'll have to stand in line in front of the entrance, as there are always a lot of visitors there. But after visiting there, people do not regret spending time, but on the contrary, they strongly recommend going to this sacred place.

Do not forget that it's best to take a trip on a clear sunny day to get the most out of the game of sun rays on the stained glass windows.