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The
Sainte-Chapelle or Holy Chapel, is located in the centre of Paris within
the Palais de Justice on the Ile de la Cite.
Construction of the chapel was started in 1246, and is built on two
levels. It was built to house religious Christian relics, including the
Crown of Thorns acquired by king, Louis IX from the emperor of
Constantinople. |
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Atop the
heavy buttressed walls,
the
slate roof is dominated by the spire
standing
33 meters high
and constructed from cedar wood. The present spire is a 19th century
replica of the
15th century
original. |
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lower chapel or chapelle basse is
dedicated to the Virgin Mary,
and supported by flying buttresses with a ceiling ornamented with
fleur-de-lis designs
on an azure background.
The
low vaulted ceilings rest on columns with crocketed capitals, these are
linked by anchor braces made from either wood or stone. The walls are
decorated with twelve medallions, which were designed to represent the
Apostles.
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The
chapelle haute or upper chapel, is reached by ascending a narrow spiral
staircase. The walls consist almost entirely of glass
supported by slender piers,
The windows depict Christian scenes starting with story of the Garden of
Eden through to the Apocalypse, which is depicted in the great rose window. |
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The
holy relics purchased by
Louis IX
were kept in a large, richly decorated reliquary. They were exhibited to
the faithful congregation each year on Good Friday. In addition to the
Crown of Thorns, the collection contained a number of other artefacts
mentioned in the Bible, including, what was claimed to be a piece of the true cross. |
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