Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

[bixaorellana]

On July 6, a beautiful morning, I walked across the Pont au Change to visit a glory of the mid-13th century. There was a sign for Sainte-Chapelle in front of the Palais de Justice and a line to enter, which I neatly circumvented when a sudden miraculous ability to understand French allowed me to hear a guide say that everyone wanting to visit the chapel should follow him.

A view of the Conciergerie from the bridge ~

Side view of the Tour de l'Horloge ~

I must mention that Woody77 made a lovely thread on Sainte-Chapelle three years ago. At that time visitors must have entered more conventionally, so as to get a good view of the building's exterior. Woody covered that as well as the interior beautifully here.

Please keep in mind as you view my pictures that the blue in the windows is a deep, rich blue. The camera and the lighting sometimes render it as sky blue, turquoise or even white, but it is truly, royally blue. (I felt somewhat better about my pictures after looking at the chapel's official site & seeing that their photgraphers had the same problem with that incredible blue.)

The lower level is stunning in its proportions and its decoration ~

[bixaorellana]

Time to go upstairs ~

Oh, glory ~

Let's just wallow in the dazzle for a minute, shall we? (full screen, please & make sure it's set for HD)

[bjd]

Beautiful, Bixa. Last time I went there was on a cloudy November day years ago and it was still spectacular. The sun makes it even more jewel-like.

By the way, entrance to the chapel has been through the Palais de Justice for years now.

[bixaorellana]

Thanks so much, Bjd. Actually, I was wondering if it wouldn't be better to go there on an overcast day -- if the colors wouldn't be richer without so much light shining through.
I think I went through some kind of alternate entrance that day. It was just a couple of small side doors of the Palais de Justice, marked with temporary signs.

The floors showed the wear of centuries of foot traffic ~

[Deleted]

Perfect pictures, Bixa. You really did the place justice.

And speaking of justice, they will probably modify all of the security in a few years when the "Palais de Justice" moves to the 17th arrondissement and there is no longer any need to search people attending the trials of dangerous criminals. Only some appellate courts will remain in the building.

A project is due to be announced in October 2016 concerning the Palais de Justice, the police headquarters across from Notre Dame and the flower market (which might be housed in a 'Crystal Palace' type structure).

[htmb]

It's a beautiful space. I think you did a very nice job of capturing the colors, Bixa.

[bixaorellana]

Big thanks to both of you -- y'all know how I fret. It's not over yet, though!

Interesting about moving the Justice offices and courts. I don't know if something was going on the day I was there, but the way tourists were channeled out of the chapel and through the forecourt of the Palais, with the attendant security and the small exit seemed inefficient.
The idea of a flower market inside a giant glass enclosure is very appealing.

[bixaorellana]

[bixaorellana]

I have to mention something I appreciated in the presentation of the chapel: there was a man stationed specifically to hush the spectators when they got too loud. Keeping the noise down really enhances the experience of being there.

And we're outside ~

When Adam delved and Eve span ~



Your brother's burnt offering makes you envious?



Whack him with a shovel!

[bixaorellana]

Jesus teaching ~

Jesus multiplying the loaves, the fishes, and the tortillas ~

A last glance inside before leaving ~

The walk back to the apartment was rather nice, too.

This tower (shown in OP) has housed a clock since @1370. The current one dates from 1535 ~

~ Fin ~

[patricklondon]

Magnificent photos. I must still have felt I was in the days of film and only took a few inside Sainte Chapelle.

I keep seeing flyers for concerts there, but only for a limited range of popular "old war-horse" classical pieces. I'd love to hear a performance of something appropriate to the space- something mediaeval or Tallis's Spem in Alium (or is it forbidden by laïcité to have religious music there?).


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[bixaorellana]

Thank you, Patrick. It's easy to get awed and distracted away from taking pictures in the chapel.

I thought maybe you were exaggerating about the range of music presented there, but no. Here's an online schedule that proves your point, but that also shows some religious chestnuts are featured: www.offi.fr/concerts/sainte-chapelle-3106.html

[gabriele]

I had booked a ticket for a concert, just to get me in the place but a problem at the airport (shuttle I'd booked didn't show up on time) meant I couldn't get to the apartment and get there in time...
Thank you so much for sharing these. I just sent an email to a friend, asking him if he wanted to drown in the colors
of Sainte Chapelle...that's the effect it had on me; but a wonderful kind of drowning...
The music I was going for was instrumental only. I wonder what a small choir could do in a place like that...I like
music from the Burgundian Court so Guillaume Dufay would have been a real treat for me. That much beauty and color needs to be balanced by a sparseness in the music. Or a modern composer like Gorecki (esp his 3rd). And if they'd let
me lie down on the floor so I could look up and drink it all in.

Note to self: Come back and revisit the place and listen to some cds and forget the rest of the world...