Smaller text Larger text
Posted on by

Alone in Sainte-Chapelle: Pondering the Relative Cost of Thorns and Glass

To film Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, we had to get there at 7:30, before the public opening hours. As the crew was downstairs filming the lower section, I realized what a lucky person I was to greet the sun through glorious medieval stained glass. My coffee that morning was the light that bathed me, all alone, in the most exquisite Gothic space ever created. I had to share it.

In my excitement as I videoed this, I flip-flopped one of my tour-guide facts, saying that they “paid more for the chapel than they did for the crown,” when the truth is much more striking: The king actually paid more for what he thought was Jesus’ “crown of thorns” than the entire cost of building this luxurious chapel to house the precious relic.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

Comments

11 Replies to “Alone in Sainte-Chapelle: Pondering the Relative Cost of Thorns and Glass”

  2. This was my first stop during both of visits to Paris and remains my favorite building anywhere. Perhaps this is related to my profession as an architect for (mostly) church buildings. The downstairs is an explosion of polychrome paint with golden stars filling the stone vaulting “sky”. Then one climbs the spiral stair to the upper level. It is fun to stand at the top and watch climbers emerge with gasps of wonder at the light-filled space. One thing I noticed in Rick’s video matches my own experience. If it weren’t for the vaulting above filled with the stunning stained glass, and the gilt statues that line niches along the walls, I suspect some would still come just to admire the inlaid stone floor designs – something that I didn’t even notice for five minutes my first visit and which escaped Rick’s video tour too.

    Thanks, Rick, for the vicarious return!

  4. What do you mean appreciate achievements of civilization in its “proper context”? This is a Church built to glorify God, and it should be first and foremost a place of worship and respect for the Catholic Church .

  5. How beautiful! But I wish Rick could show us places related to the French Revolution and the Enlightenment, and also all the places in France related to the artists, writers and jazz musicians of the 1920’s to 60’s. That would be cool. What parts of Paris inspired Josephine Baker, Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dali and Charles Baldwin?

  7. Context here is important for the reasons mentioned above, but also to know that the Chapel was built specifically to house the Crown of Thorns in a majestic setting.

  8. When I was a student studying in Europe I had the opportunity to travel widley throughout the continent. But when I saw St. Chapelle, it just took my breath away. When I went back to Paris 3 decades later, I headed straight for St. Chapelle. It was just as amazing as I remembered it.

    Thanks Rick for another look. How lucky you are to have been there alone.

    Pam

  9. Dear Rick:
    Of course I don’t know you, except that it feels like I do, because I have been watching lots of your programs on PBS dreaming of my 1st trip to Europe. I am sending you this message to thank you for the wonderful job that you do, in teaching and presenting Europe from a very beautiful and particular point of view.
    Finally our dream came true and my family and I were able to visit London, Paris, Budapest, Vienna, Venice, Bergamo and stayed for 7 days with friends from our teenage years who live in Switzerland. It was a wonderful 20 days trip were we followed all your tricks and advise. I have already talked to 2 people who are about to travel to Prague and Paris in this next 2 days… one of them came back to my office 2 days later carrying your books, which he purchased at the local Barnes and Noble store.

    I don’t want to extend too much but I want you to know that first I purchased your book Best of Europe and Europe through the back door. Then later on as our trip configured better I also purchase your book of France and Budapest, and the pocket books of Paris and London (these 2 we took with us along with Budapest one). The important thing is not what I purchased, but HOW EASY THEY ARE TO READ AND FOLLOW. Let me tell you that I followed those 2 books to the tee…the daily reminders, the Paris at a glance with triangle sights rate, the Historic walk, the Louvre Tour, the Orsay Museum Tour, Eiffel Tower Tour, then in London The Westminster Tour, The National Gallery, The British Museum tour and the Tower of London Tour where one of the Beefeaters recognized the book and told me he knows you personally and said, tell him you met “Jack the Ripper”.

    We followed your packing tips, the tipping guides, the purchased the city pass in Paris and mastered the Underground and Metro. I know we saved a lot of time and money by knowing first hand all these tips.

    So Rick, congratulations on your job and keep on doing it. I envy you for touring Europe as your job…

    Probably you can incorporate Morocco as part of Spain. Probably you can dedicate some time to explore Bergamo, La Citta alta; and I am glad that you have started to film in Instanbul.

    We learned a lot in this trip:, to treasure all the history and political eras and value so much art and beauty. The important “monetary value of lots of things, the monetary exchange and being able to see how good and comfortable our life is in USA. Of course is sad to see how we don’t try to recycle more, treasure more and educate more about history and geography at least… In this house we are bilingual (Spanish because of Colombian background) and it was very helpful how so many people know more than 2 languages.

    So hopefully in 2 years we can go back to other European destinations, of course after researching all of your guides.

    Maria Teresa Bitar

  10. Thanks so much for your video here of Saint Chappelle…in just a little more than a month my mom and I are joining your Paris in 7 days tour and I’m looking forward to all of it. Especially the 4th of October which is my birthday which will be spent in the Montmatre district. Hopefully I can experience the stunning light show which you had the opportunity to experience in this video too.
    Thanks again.

Comments are closed.