Saint Chappelle, the Crown of Thorns, and the Conciergerie...

SSD_8056King Louis IX of France built Saint Chappelle or the Holy Chapel to house his collection of relics including the Crown of Thorns. Completed in 1248, this private place of worship has stunning stained glass. Despite its small size, the stained glass interior fills the room thanks to the narrow columns which frame and support the stained glass. It is said that there is close to 6,500 square feet of stained glass in the chapel which recreate figures from the Bible.

During the French Revolution thSSD_8084e chapel was converted to office space and filing cabinets lined the stained glass windows, ultimately protecting the glass from the ensuing vandalism. Although most of the relics were lost or destroyed in the French Revolution, the few that remain are now safely stored in the treasury of Notre Dame Cathedral.

SSD_8097The Conciergerie is next door to Saint Chappelle. Originally the residence of the Kings of France, this royal residence was used to hold prisoners of the state. Increasingly, it began to be used strictly as a prison. The Conciergerie had a reputation for being the toughest of all prisons. SSD_8118Known as Paris' oldest prison, this is where Marie Antoinette and later the leaders of the French Revolution were held before their executions. Initially charmed by her personality and beauty, the French people generally cSSD_8107ame to dislike Marie Antoinette, accusing her of being promiscuous and harboring sympathies for France's enemies, particularly Austria, her country of origin. Marie Antoinette was tried, convicted, and ultimately executed in 1793 by guillotine.

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