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Upper Chapel Apse and Rose window
Sainte Chapelle

Paris, France
Sainte Chapelle - Official Website

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Apse

Rose window

The holy relics purchased by Saint Louis were kept in a large, richly decorated reliquary, placed at the summit of the open tribune, at the back of the apse. They were exhibited to the faithful each year on Good Friday. In addition to the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross, the Sainte-Chapelle's collection of relics included a number of other key pieces mentioned in both Testaments of the Bible.


The elegant proportions and airiness of the upper chapel, its 15 magnificent stained-glass windows, separated only by thin colonnettes and reaching nearly from floor to ceiling, and its vividly painted columns and panels combine to create the effect of a sheer blaze of color and light.

The Sainte-Chapelle is a superb example of the Rayonnant style in Gothic architecture.

- Columbia Encyclopedia (March 2012)



Where the crown of thorns and other relics were displayed before they were transferred to Notre Dame Cathedral in1806.





The Parisian palatine chapel, built to house a reliquary, was itself like a precious reliquary turned inside out (with the richest decoration on the inside). Although the interior is dominated by the stained glass , every inch of the remaining wall surface and the vault was also richly polychromed and decorated. Analysis of remaining paint fragments reveal that the original colours were much brighter than those favoured by the 19th century restorers and would have been closer to the colours of the stained glass. - Wikipedia  (March 2012)



Gilding










Transept  rose window
A large rose window with Flamboyant tracery (added to the upper chapel c.1490) dominates the western wall.


Transept  rose window














Photos and their arrangement © 2012
Chuck LaChiusa
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