Angels in Chains and the Chapel of Kings

July 13

Saint Chapelle is perhaps one of the lesser known churches in Paris - it's small, so it hardly competes with the physical presence of Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur, nor with the popularity of St. Sulpice since the Da Vinci Code hit the bestseller lists. However, for exquisite stained glass, it can't be beat - and yes, I took pictures to share (rather than merely teasing you with the architecture). It is part of a small palace on the same island as Notre Dame which was used almost exclusively to serve royalty - and it shows. The stained glass is literally breathtaking - my friend Diana, a stained glass afficionado, was speechless as she walked into the chapel yesterday.

Of course, I also perused the outside, looking for interesting architecture and gargoyles. It looks like the keepers are warming up to some restoration work, as there are piles of stones and stacks of column elements behind the fence that surrounds the chapel. There was also the angel, hand in blessing, feet on an upside down turtle (whose meaning confounds me), held delicately balanced in place by straps and cables. His demeanor seemed patient to me - probably a good thing as restorations seem to take a very long time.