The Relics of Sainte Chapelle & Notre Dame

Apse
Today was the first "professional visit/field trip" day of our Parisian Adventure. Whitney and 27 Fashion students went to visit a project manager with Nelly Rodi and then to the Musee de la Mode et du Textile. Three interior design students and I set out to explore Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame de Paris. Again, the day began with rain but it started to clear by lunch. I will never get tired of visiting Sainte Chapelle! It is such a beautiful church, and every time one visits you see more and more of the spectacular details. You must pass through a rigorous security checkpoint because it is located within the Palace of Justice of Paris so leave all pointy objects at home or the hotel.

Rose window

Louis IX (eventually St. Louis) acquired the Crown of Thorns worn by Christ during the Passion, and two years later a fragment of the True Cross. Sainte Chapelle was conceived as a large reliquary to celebrate and showcase these relics. It is the pinnacle of Gothic construction in that the stained glass windows dominate the chapel while the structural stone elements 'melt away' into the background.

Many French restaurants offer a complete meal for a set price - Formule - Today, we found a lovely place that provided a baguette, drink, and dessert for 7.90 Euro - a great deal in the middle of Paris!

We walked around the exterior of Notre Dame de Paris, and took in the flying buttresses, gargoyles, and the immenseness of this Cathedral.

On the first Friday of each month, they present the Crown of Thorns and True Cross relics to the public at 3:00 pm. We made our way around the Cathedral with our audio guides, visited the Treasury, and then took seats near the front to see the relics. The organ was playing as the priests processed with the pillow holding the Crown, there was a bit of a service with singing and then we were invited to kiss the relic, row by row. (similar to communion)

I knew that the Crown of Thorns and True Cross relics were moved from Sainte Chapelle to Notre Dame, but I was not aware that I would be allowed to gaze upon them, let alone, kiss the glass encased crown... It was a special day.

They still have decorations and celebrations of Christmas up around Paris, thus it was also nice to see the special display in the heart of the city.

Notre Dame de Paris is a gorgeous Cathedral, I will be posting more pictures when I am able to walk the 380-7 steps to the top of the tower on the west facade. Unfortunately, the line was too long today and the students were not interested in waiting to pay to walk up to the top! I hope to make it to the top of a lot of cathedral towers in the next couple of months.

This is the most famous of the many (37) Virgin Mary sculptures in the Cathedral, she was carved in the 14the century.

If you have any interest in the Middle Ages, I highly recommend Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, it is my favorite book and I have read it so many times I cannot even speculate on a number. Last year, Starz made the book into a mini-series which is very well done! Building the cathedral is the central theme of the book. It generally takes 100's of years to craft these architetural masterpieces both the politics and logistics of construction are awe inspiring!