You’ve seen one French chapel you’ve seen them all, right? Not so -- especially when it comes to the aesthetic wonderment of the Sainte-Chapel, located just a block from the Notre-Dame Cathedral on the Seine River. The Sainte-Chapel offers a breathtaking scene of 6,458 square feet of stained-glass windows, two-thirds of which are original. In the Upper Chapel, the imposing windowpanes depict the story of the creation of mankind and its redemption through Jesus Christ. Sculptures of the twelve Apostles also adorn the Upper Chapel.

Built over the course of six years (1242-1248) under the direction of King Louis IX, the Sainte Chapel originally served two distinct purposes. The Upper Chapel was created solely for the king and was used as an exhibition space, displaying rare religious artifacts. The Lower Chapel, on the other hand, was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and served as the place of worship for the palace. The actual building that houses the Sainte-Chapel was once the seat of power for French Kings during the 10th – 14th centuries. Today the Palaise de la Cite not only houses the Sainte-Chapel, but also the Paris law courts and the Conciergerie.