One of the many beautiful churches in Paris that sometimes gets overlooked is the stunning gothic chapel of Sainte-Chapelle. Construction began in 1246 by King Louis IX to house many religious relics including Christ’s Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross. The Chapel is enclosed in the Palais de Justice and tight security is perhaps one reason why many people unfortunately do not venture in.

Situated on the Ile de la Cité, the chapel’s stained glass is considered the best of its type in the world and two thirds are still the original pieces. There are two levels; the lower, more somber, Chapel is dedicated to the Virgin Mary with its low vaulted ceilings. The upper level is light and airy and a magnificent display of colors when the sun penetrates the stain glass windows at just the right time. This is where the statues of the twelve apostles are, and the relics are kept.

Open every day:
9h30 – 18h from March the 1st to October the 31st
9h00 – 17h from November the 1st to February the 29th
Cashdesks close 30 minutes earlier.

Closed:
January 1, May 1, and December 25.                                                                                                                                                       Prices:                                                                                                                                            Full Price: (adults) : 6,50 €
Reduced Price: (18 to 25 yrs) : 4,50 €
Group Price: (at least 20 adults) : 5,30 €
Free for those 17 and under.

Guided visits: 1h15 in French, English, or Spanish.  For other languages, and more information, click here.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Post from: The Paris Traveler

According to its history, the Virgin Mary appeared three times to a young nun, Catherine Labouré, in 1830. Catherine was told by the Blessed Virgin to create a medal as she appeared to her. The message that the Virgin gave was “…a medal should be struck in this image. The people wearing it will receive my indulgence and those who piously say this short prayer will enjoy my very special protection.”

It is said that Bernadette Soubirous was wearing this same medal when the Virgin appeared to her in Lourdes in 1858. The statue of the Virgin Mary in the grotto at Lourdes is the same as she appeared to Saint-Catherine and on the Miraculous Medal.

The church is at 140 Rue du Bac right behind the Bon Marché. Keep your eyes peeled for a large archway which is easy to miss. Once inside, along the wall on the left are thank-you plaques of gratitude for miracles and prayers that have been answered.

On the right is a shop where the Sisters sell the medals. Toward the rear is where the church is located. Inside the chapel the body of Saint-Catherine can be seen in a glass enclosure. When she was exhumed fifty-seven years after her death, it was discovered that her body had remained incorrupt as though she were sleeping.

Mass is said in a number of languages daily. Open from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Closed from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Metro: Sèvres Babylone.

Photo Credits: Flickr

Post from: The Paris Traveler

Believe me, I didn’t mind.  It was my quartier where I would sit on a bench under the trees around sunset, and watch the neighborhood children skate around the fountain, or observe other locals taking an evening stroll. It was the simple pleasure of listening to the laughter of children and the water cascading and falling into the lower basin. It was also a place to meet friends for a drink at the corner café. Saint-Sulpice wasn’t only beautiful, it was most often a peaceful little square.

Why am I talking in the past tense? Well let’s just say that after Dan Brown’s bestseller, “The Da Vinci Code,” there have been a lot more tourists making their way to this once quiet place. The Da Vinci Code tour of Paris take tourists to all the places mentioned in his thriller.  Therefore, if you’ve already read the book, (and who hasn’t?), you know that the church plays a big role in the story.

The Eglise Saint-Sulpice is the second largest church in Paris after Notre-Dame. It was built and restored several times between 1646 and 1745. The façade that you see today is attributed to the architect Giovanni Niccolo Servandoni and later restored by his apprentice Jean-Francois Chalgrin. Chalgrin also built the two mismatch north and south towers, which creates a distinct disharmony in the entire square. The fountain of the “Four Bishops” built in 1844 was designed by Joachim Visconti.

A must see is the church’s organ of 6700 pipes making it one of the largest pipe organs in the world.  Another is the Delacroix frescoes in the Chapelle des Anges (Chapel of the Angels) which is on the right as you enter the church. A must do, however, is to just sit on a bench under the trees, listen to the water falling, and take in the beauty of this square.

Post from: The Paris Traveler