Sainte Chapelle

Before coming to England I had never been inside a Cathedral. I do remember driving through a small Mexican town a few years ago on the way to Chichen Itza but that's another story . . . Of course I have seen and heard of all these grand buildings and I was so excited to visit some of them after my arrival. And then something happened. They started to all look the same . . . GASP! I know, I know, it's blasphemous but what can I say? It's true. Even the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, you know, that really famous one? Looked like many other Cathedrals like it that I have seen. And then I visited Sainte Chapelle, or The Holy Chapel, just a short walk from Notre Dame. It was beautiful . . . unlike any Cathedral or church I have seen yet.
Here is one view of it. If you didn't already know, Cathedrals used to be painted . . . everything was painted. Luckily the paint has survived in this chapel. If you look closely you can see that everything is painted and is very colorful. But the most distinctive feature is the stained glass. This chapel is all stained glass with a little stone in between.

It felt like the moment I walked into the chapel I was in another world . . . like Narnia. In this world the light was colorful and magical and anything was possible.

I also loved the rose window in this chapel, even more than the famous rose window of Notre Dame. I think the thing I loved about it was the shapes within the window. The pattern is more detailed and light.

If you are ever in Paris make sure to fit Sainte Chapelle in your schedule, it doesn't take long and it is well worth the experience.