To discover the Sainte Chapelle is to understand how, little by little, the Capetian dynasty transformed the monarchy into the absolutist doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings. It was one of the most famous among them, Saint Louis (Louis IX), who completed this transition. As we will see, the construction of the Saint Chapelle was a reflection of his journey.
To discover the Sainte Chapelle is also to come to understand what the word “masterpiece” means! Here is an embodiment of the Gothic style as it never had been seen before. The masterful architecture of the building allowed for the creation of large spaces in which light could make the stained glass windows vibrate. We will understand what cleric Jean de Jandin meant when he wrote about the site: “The pure transparency of the stained glass windows, the marvelous virtues of its altars, and the extraordinary ornamentation of its reliquaries with their brilliant jewels, give this house of prayer such a degree of beauty that on walking in one feels as if one had been transported to heaven, and having been shown into of the most beautiful residences in Paradise.”