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SainteChapelle

Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel located on the Île de la Cité in Paris, France. Built between 1242 and 1248 by King Louis IX (Saint Louis) to house sacred Christian relics, including the Crown of Thorns, the chapel symbolized the royal and divine authority of the French crown. It is part of the Palais de la Cité, adjacent to Notre-Dame Cathedral.

The building consists of two levels: the lower chapel, for the royal court and servants, and the

The chapel survived the turmoil of the French Revolution with its relics largely intact, though damage and

Today, Sainte-Chapelle remains a functioning church and a major monument, open to visitors and celebrated for

upper
chapel,
intended
for
the
king
and
the
display
of
the
relics.
The
upper
chapel
is
noted
for
its
slender,
airy
Gothic
architecture
and
its
extensive
stained
glass
windows,
which
illuminate
the
interior
with
colored
light
and
depict
biblical
narratives
from
Creation
to
the
Passion.
The
design
is
associated
with
the
Rayonnant
phase
of
French
Gothic
architecture.
losses
occurred.
It
underwent
a
major
restoration
in
the
19th
century,
notably
under
the
direction
of
Eugène
Viollet-le-Duc,
reaffirming
its
status
as
a
leading
example
of
medieval
Gothic
art.
its
architectural
and
artistic
significance.