The Sainte-Chapelle

• One of the major buildings of the Middle Ages, founded by Saint Louis to house the relics of the Passion of Christ

The Sainte-Chapelle is one of the most famous medieval buildings: no visitor can resist the awe-inspiring beauty of the stained-glass windows in the upper chapel. Founded by Saint Louis at the heart of the royal palace on the Île de la Cité to house major relics of the Passion of Christ, it is recognised in the collective memory both as a key site of the Capetian royal dynasty and as the pinnacle of Gothic art. 

The book draws on beautiful and rare illustrations to recount the history of the monument, its significance in its own time, and to describe it in its entirety. The history of its foundation, covered in the first part, enables us to grasp the political and religious significance of a building that subsequently endured many vicissitudes. The second part of the book focuses specifically on the stained-glass windows of the upper chapel, highlighting the meticulously organised programme of political theology they display.

Part One

Introduction

A^19th-century monument 

Relics, reliquaries, ceremonies and everyday life

The Palatine Chapel and the Reliquary

Epilogue 

Part Two

Introduction

A message in glass in the^13th century 

Stained-glass windows and their fate

Bibliography

Index

Jean-Michel Leniaud, Director of Studies at the EPHE (École Pratique des Hautes Études), is a specialist in^19th-century history, with a particular focus on the implementation of restoration projects.

Françoise Perrotis a research director at the CNRS and a leading expert on the Sainte-Chapelle and its stained-glass windows. She specialises in the history of stained glass and the significance of monumental imagery in the Middle Ages.