Sainte-Chapelle is a Gothic royal chapel on the Ile de la Cite in the centre of Paris, built for King Louis IX, later canonised as Saint Louis. It was commissioned in the 1240s to house relics of the Passion that the king had acquired at great cost, including what was believed to be Christ's crown of thorns. The building has two levels, a lower chapel for the palace staff and an upper chapel for the king, whose walls are almost entirely replaced by tall stained glass windows. The glass depicts scenes from the Bible and gives the interior its famous jewel-like light. The chapel survived the French Revolution, though damaged, and was carefully restored in the nineteenth century.
Before and after
- 9 April 1241Battle of Legnica
- from 1243 to 1502Golden Horde
- 26 June 1243Battle of Köse Dağ
- c. 1244Origins of Berlin
- 1245Construction of Sainte Chapelle
- from August 1247 to November 1248Siege of Seville
- from 1248 to 1254Seventh Crusade
- from 1250 to 1517Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt
- 13th centuryConstruction of Château de Blois
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 622 CEConstruction of Prophet's Mosque
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
- from 1438 to 1533Inca Empire
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 13th century.