Sainte-Chapelle

"The Palais de la Cité was the residence and seat of royal power from the 10th to the 14th centuries, and housed the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle which are now part of the Palace of Justice, the new function of the building. The Sainte-Chapelle was built between 1242 and 1248, in accordance with the wishes of Louis IX to house the relics of the Passion of Christ. The most famous of these relics was the Crown of Thorns, acquired in 1239 for a sum that greatly exceeded the cost of building the Chapel itself."

France is a country with a rich history of Catholism, and therefore many beautiful cathedrals, churches and chapels exists till today. This one however, deserves special attention, for despite its small size, its beauty captivated me a little more than the rest. In the Lower Chapel, there is a 13th-century fresco depicting the Annunciation, the oldest painting in Paris. My favorite however is the Upper Chapel, with its stained glass windows that depict 1,113 scenes of the story of mankind from Genesis to Christ's resurrection.

You will find long lines to the entrance of Sainte-Chapelle, but J & I figured out a way to skip the line! You need to walk down to the Conciergerie which is on the same street. Here, there are less people and you are able to buy twin tickets to Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. With the twin tickets, you are able to beat the line for the bag check, and again beat the line inside for entrance tickets.

Photos by Me
Metro: Cité