In 1996 I fell in love with stained glass. I was in Paris on my first solo trip abroad, recently divorced, and determined to see the world on my own, thank you very much. I had about 5 days to spend there, and I knew I wanted to see Notre Dame, because, well, it’s Notre Dame, and it had the famous Rose Window which I desperately wanted to see. But before I left, a good friend had told me (quite emphatically) to go see Ste. Chappelle if I really wanted to see stained glass windows.
Unwilling to return home to face her wrath should I not heed her sage advice, I went to see Notre Dame (which was stunning, btw) and then worked my way through the Ile de la Cite streets and past the security stations you had to go through to get to the church, since it is located in the same space as the courthouse along with a whole bunch of other policey and legal looking spaces.
I thought it was odd, but followed the signs pointing to Ste. Chappelle and sure enough at the end of the courtyard there was a church. The entrance was as you’d expect, heavy wood door, dimly lit vestibule, and the first space I entered was a lovely little church with beautiful stained glass windows. Nice, I thought, but hardly worth the effort since France is full of gorgeous little churches just like it. Well, I had gone, and now my friend would not chastise me, so I shrugged my shoulders, resigning myself to confusion over what the big deal was. As I turned to leave, there was a tiny sign pointing to a stone staircase hidden at the back of the church. No fanfare, no nothing, just an arrow pointing up the stairs, which were again, dimly lit, and a little creepy.
Up the circular stairs I went, and when I reached the top of the tunnel, I literally could not breathe. My only conscious thought was not even printable on this family friendly site! The church is not as large as Notre Dame, but it is floor to ceiling stained glass windows, all 50 feet high, and they run the entire length of both walls, all the way around the church! 6,652 square feet of stained glass majesty. You can FEEL the color. I am not even kidding here, it is like being bathed in ecstasy, pure love, and eternal glory! The joy of the light penetrates your very being. Keep in mind that these windows were made in the 1200s, back when the world was struggling with plagues and Crusades, yet these glorious windows were constructed in about 6 short years, purely for the delight of royal worshipers.
I left Ste. Chappelle a changed person, and now everywhere I travel if there is a stained glass window on my path I try to stop to appreciate its beauty. I will add more posts on the blog to showcase the windows I come across.