About Sainte-Chapelle
From the outside it nearly disappears: the Sainte-Chapelle sits inside the Palais de Justice complex, a few minutes from Notre-Dame, and the way there gives nothing away. You pass through the lower chapel, climb to the upper chapel and, up there, the walls simply cease to exist. There are about 670 m² of glass, not counting the great rose window on the facade.
Louis IX had the chapel built to hold relics of the Passion of Christ, among them the Crown of Thorns, and it was consecrated in 1248. Fifteen tall windows tell biblical stories in color, and the effect is of standing inside a reliquary. Don't be surprised if the whole group goes quiet on reaching the last step.
