Sainte Chapelle – A beautiful souvenir from a psychopathic king

Sainte Chapelle is undoubtedly the church with the most beautiful stained glass windows in Paris. Come tocity ​​of Lights On a sunny summer day, enter the chapel, climb the spiral stairs to the top, and you are guaranteed a spectacular view, one of the most beautiful you will ever see.

Don't believe me? Watch this video, which I created using a computer game. Assassin's Creed Unity, and you will see what beauty awaits you there:

But what do we really know about this church and King Louis IX (9-1226), who ordered its construction and was even declared a saint by the Catholic Church? Was he truly a holy man or was he a mentally ill anti-Semite who harnessed the full power of the French crown to realize his delusions?

To answer this question, we will embark on a historical journey straight to the 13th century, during which we will learn more about Louis IX and the circumstances surrounding the construction of Sainte-Chapelle. Of course, we will not be satisfied with the chapel, and I promise you that at the end of the article, we will also provide you with all the practical information (opening times, ticket options, etc.) necessary for visiting this beautiful church.

The history of Sainte-Chapelle

Look for the Mother (Cherchez La Mère)

The year is 1226 and King Louis VIII (8-1223), who briefly reigned as King Louis I of England (he was proclaimed king in 1226 but was never officially crowned), dies of dysentery. He leaves behind a 1-year-old boy king, Louis IX, and his wife, Queen Blanche of Castile (1216-9), who serves as regent until the new king comes of age.

If you read the history books, you'll learn that Blanche of Castile was a decidedly positive person. She freed serfs, donated quite a bit of money to charity, and when Louis IX came of age, he received a prosperous kingdom from her.

However, Blanche of Castile also had a dark side, she was a very religious woman and the education she gave her son turned him into a religious fanatic. How religious was Blanche? So much so that she once said that she would rather her son die than sin against religion. Truly the mother of this year!

Because the mother claimed that Satan was everywhere, she persecuted her son and made him fear her and take a series of extreme steps in order to prove to her that he was distancing himself from sin (among other things, he used to hear endless masses every day, kneel 50 times a day in front of his bed, get up in the middle of the night to pray Shacharit, flog himself, and more).

The mother, who as mentioned saw sin everywhere she went, feared that Louis would sin by sleeping with his wife Margaret de Provence (1221-1295). As a result, she would barge into the couple's bedroom without invitation and interfere with the couple's blessed work of bringing an heir to the throne. FranceHence, if the French have the famous saying Cherchez la Femme (Look for the woman), then in the case of the royal couple the correct phrase was Cherchez La Mère (Look for the mother).

In order to have a little intimacy for the process of bringing the royal heir into the world, the couple had sex in the stairwell that connected their rooms in the Palais de la Cité. And the “trick” worked! The couple had 11 children over the years, all of whom were born in the stairwell.

It is not surprising, then, that Louis became more and more extreme over the years and developed a psychotic personality. The writer put it well: Maurice Drouon (Maurice Druon 1918-2009) in his book “The History of Paris from Julius Caesar to Saint Louis”:

Louis IX's personality is very similar to that of the mad Emperor Nero, and if he had not been a saint, he would certainly have become a monster.

Was the writer right and did this king really not become a monster? Keep reading and decide for yourself.

Louis IX brings the Inquisition to France and fights the Jews

France in the 12th and early 13th centuries experienced a kind of intellectual and spiritual renaissance. These were the days when the University of Paris was founded, which would later become theSorbonne And some of the gifts of the Spirit, such as Pierre Abelard, taught and even preached the abolition of the use of torture.

Louis IX decides, contrary to the liberal spirit that had prevailed at the beginning of his reign, to make a U-turn and bring the Inquisition to France. Yes, about a hundred years before it began its atrocities on the Spanish peninsula, the Inquisition had already begun operating in the territories of the Kingdom of France.

The first victims of the Inquisition and the religious fanaticism of Louis IX were the Albigenses, against whom the King of France launched a murderous crusade. To his credit, this crusade began before he came to power and ended while he was a young boy, so it is difficult to blame him for the atrocities committed in southern France. However, when he began to mistreat the Jews, he was already old enough…

Indeed, Louis IX was not the first anti-Semitic king to expel and persecute Jews. His grandfather Philip II (Philip Augustus) preceded him, who expelled the Jews of Paris. However, while the aforementioned did so as a result of a money-making operation, Louis IX did so as a result of hatred stemming from religious fanaticism.

This is how Louis IX signed the anti-Semitic act of burning the Talmud books at the Place de Garve (where theHotel de VilleHe was not satisfied with this and even forced the leaders of the Jewish community to watch what was happening and see how the holy books, which had been copied by hand for years, went up in flames.

In addition to burning the Talmud in 1242, the French king required Jews to wear a yellow badge and supported the abuse and even physical harm of Jews by saying that if a Jew dared to argue with a Christian on a theological issue, the Christian had the right to stab the Jew with a sword. Ultimately, after abusing his Jewish population, Louis IX expelled all of France's Jews in 9.

And by the way, Louis IX's cruelty was directed not only towards Jews or infidels but also towards his own people. In order to try and prevent the Parisians from sinning, the king decided to impose a reign of terror on his people. For this purpose, the king built the Montfaucon gallows, not far from where it would become known centuries later. Canal Saint-Martin.

As you can see in the picture above, it was a huge complex spanning several floors where dozens of people could be hanged at the same time. The bodies of the hanged were not taken down from the rope after the fact, but remained hanging for many months, in order to deter anyone entering Paris.

Indeed, a humane and kind-hearted king!

When a wreath of thorns and a nail cost more than a magnificent church

Not only did the Jews suffer at the hands of Louis IX, but so did the Muslims. The combination of religious fanaticism and violence led the king to embark on several crusades, most of which ended badly (he was captured on one and died of bubonic plague on the way to another). However, from one of his visits to Constantinople, the king returned with something completely different.

Baldwin II (2-1217), Emperor of Constantinople, known as Baldwin the Impoverished, was forced to borrow money from the Venetians and in return pawned a crown of thorns, a nail, and several other items. What made these items so valuable was the fact that they were Jesus' crown of thorns and the nail that was attached to the cross on which he was crucified. When the King of France heard about this, he decided to buy these souvenirs, no matter the price.

We have no way of knowing whether these were genuine items or fakes sold by some clever dealer, but the fact is that Louis IX was willing to pay 9 livres (a huge sum in those days). On top of that, Louis paid another 135,000 livres for a silver chest in which the items were housed. Finally, after a long journey, which the king completed barefoot, the luggage arrived in Paris.

It quickly became clear that such expensive items needed a proper home, and Louis IX decided to build a chapel, which would be attached to the palace where he lived and would house these items. This is the Sainte-Chapelle, which we know. This magnificent structure was built in about five years and its construction cost a total of 9 livres, much less than what was paid for the items stored there and their box.

Although the church was built in record time, the result was nothing short of spectacular. On the second floor, where Louis IX and his family prayed, you will find beautiful stained glass windows that tell stories from the Bible and the New Testament, such as the childhood of Jesus, Judith killing Holofernes, Queen Esther, and more. In total, there are about 9 stories that are illuminated during a sunny day by precious light on the stained glass.

Beyond that, if you look up, you will see a mysterious and beautiful blue ceiling, one of the most beautiful in Paris (the only one that comes close is that of Church of Saint-Germain-des-PrésNo matter how many pictures and videos I bring you, there is no way to convey the full intensity of the beauty there until you experience it yourself.

Sainte Chapelle becomes a warehouse and is restored by Viola Le Duc

The fact that Louis IX was a devoted servant of the church led Pope Boniface VIII (the same pope whom Dante sent to hell in the Divine Comedy) to declare him a saint. Since he was the only saintly king in France, many future kings were named after him, and Louis became the most popular name among the kings of France (the Bourbons made it even more so, naming almost all of their kings Louis).

After Charles V, King of France, decided to move to the Palace of St. Paul,Marais District (and later toLouvre Palace) the palace ceased to function as the king's residence. However, none of this affected the status of Sainte-Chapelle, and for another hundred years the kings of France continued to marry there.

Beyond that, Sainte-Chapelle, which is characterized not only by its magnificent stained glass windows but also by its excellent acoustics, became an important musical center. The most famous composer who worked there was Marc Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704), through whom we experience this work that almost every Israeli is familiar with:

https://youtu.be/MxZQ1ODN1iU

Jesus' crown of thorns and other sacred items remained in this church until theFrench RevolutionThe revolutionaries decided to melt down the precious box that held the Crown of Thorns, but the crown itself was saved and transferred toNotre Dame Church And there it is to this day (it survived the 2019 fire because it is housed in the archaeological crypt there).

The Church of Sainte-Chapelle was a little less fortunate than the Crown of Thorns. It was first used as a flour warehouse and later as a place to house the court archives. All this caused the building's safety to deteriorate and in 1847 it was even decided to sell it to private hands.

Fortunately, just before this happened, the French government came to its senses and decided to buy the building and renovate it. The project appointed two of the greatest conservation architects of the 19th century, Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879) and Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus (1807-1857), who renovated the building and even added a fifth tower to it, in place of the one that was destroyed during a fire that broke out in the 17th century. Also, fortunately, 720 of the original 1134 stained glass windows were saved and, after renovation and cleaning, they were placed back inside the window frames.

The renovation was completed in 1867, but soon the church was again in danger of destruction. In the last days of the Paris Commune, its supporters decided to burn Sainte-Chapelle along with Notre-Dame, the Hôtel de Ville, and other historic buildings in Paris (you can read more about this in the article When Paris almost burned downFortunately for us, this plot did not succeed and Sainte-Chapelle has remained standing to this day.

Over the years, Sainte-Chapelle has undergone a long series of renovations, the last of which was completed in 2015, during which all the stained glass windows and walls of the building were cleaned. I have every hope that this renovation will last a long time and preserve Sainte-Chapelle in all its glory for many years to come. All we can do is come and visit there and enjoy all this beauty.

Visit to Sainte Chapelle Church

After we got to know the Church of Sainte-Chapelle and even visited it virtually, it is time to provide you with all the information you need for a “real” visit to the church.

Address and recommended directions to Sainte-Chapelle

The address of Sainte-Chapelle is 10 Boulevard du Palais (1st arrondissement of Paris).

The best way to get there is via MetroIt is recommended to get off at Cité station (line 4), but you can also get to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame station (line 4 and RER B or C) and walk from there for a few minutes.

opening hours

The place is open to the general public every day between 09:00-17:00. As mentioned, before buying tickets it is recommended to check the weather for that day and make sure there will be enough sun. If you are interested in knowing what the weather will be like in Paris in the coming week, you are welcome to visitThis article.

Buying tickets

It is highly recommended to buy an entrance ticket to Sainte-Chapelle in order to avoid the queue at the box office. However, please note that there is an additional queue, right at the entrance to the complex, which results from the security check that must be passed. This is why it is highly recommended to arrive early in order to avoid standing in line for too long or to arrive on days when no trial is taking place (weekends, holidays, etc.).

You can buy tickets to Sainte-Chapelle and other attractions through the article Monuments in Paris that you must visit.

And another tip, if you've already arrived at Sainte-Chapelle and stood in line, I highly recommend also going into the courthouse (Palais de la Justice) adjacent to the church itself. As you can see in the photo I took there in 2019, justice is not only done there, it is also seen 🙂

Classical music concerts at Sainte-Chapelle Church

As I mentioned earlier in the article, the acoustics at Sainte-Chapelle are nothing short of perfect, so it's no surprise that quite a few concerts are held there. You can read about it and book tickets through the article. Classical music in Paris.

What else can you do after visiting Sainte Chapelle?

I really hope you enjoy your visit and if you were looking for something else to do, here are some ideas:

• to visitConcierge Which is right next door.
• to visitNotre Dame Church (After the renovations there are completed).
• to do the This itinerary On the Ile de la Cite and the Ile Saint Louis.