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Don’t miss this chapel! So many people do, they don’t know it exists in the shadows of the Notre Dame. The chapel itself was built in 1246 to house the Crown of Thorns that was acquired by St. Louis, or King Louis IX.
There are two parts to the chapel: the “chapelle basse” or lower chapel which was used by the servants but is still very impressive with its royal blue and fleur-de-lis designs. The king and nobility used the “chapelle haute” or upper chapel which is reached by going up a narrow staircase. On a good sunny day, the 15 stained glass windows which tell the stories of the Old and New Testaments glow with some of the most beautiful jewel-toned blues and reds you can imagine. The walls are almost entirely of glass, and had to be removed during the Revolution of 1789 and the world wars. You read the windows from bottom to top and left to right, and the rose window depicts the Apocalypse.
It’s a bit hidden, but once you find it you will understand why so many people make a pilgrimage here every day to see the “light show” that awaits.
Watch for concerts in the summer, for a fee.
