Religious Building · Paris, France
Sainte-Chapelle
The Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel located on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the River Seine in Paris. Built 1245.
Photo: Didier B (Sam67fr) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious Building |
| Built | 1245 |
| Architect | Pierre de Montreuil |
| Height | Height: 75.75 m |
| Coordinates | 48.8553° N, 2.3450° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Sainte-Chapelle is known for
The Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel located on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the River Seine in Paris.
About Sainte-Chapelle
The Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel located on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the River Seine in Paris. It was part of the medieval Palais de la Cité, the main residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century. Built between 1238 and 1248, the chapel was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of relics of the Passion, including one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom: the Crown of Thorns.
History
More than a place of worship, the Sainte-Chapelle was motivated by the political and cultural ambitions of King Louis IX. Housing the Crown of Thorns and other relics in the royal chapel would bring enormous prestige to Louis; as Pope Innocent IV would proclaim, it symbolised that Christ himself had crowned the French king. Furthermore, with the imperial throne at Constantinople occupied by a mere Count of Flanders and the Holy Roman Empire in disarray, Louis saw an opportunity to position himself as the central monarch of western Christendom through artistic patronage.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Sainte-Chapelle website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Paris |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) |
| Distance from the airport | 8.8 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) · Paris (Orly, Val-de-Marne), France · 8.7 miles away
- Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) · Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise), France · 14.2 miles away
- Beauvais-Tillé airport (BVA) · Beauvais, France · 42.7 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in France
More religious buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is Sainte-Chapelle?
The Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel located on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the River Seine in Paris.
Where is Sainte-Chapelle located?
Sainte-Chapelle is in Paris, France. Its coordinates are 48.8553° N, 2.3450° E.
How do I get to Sainte-Chapelle?
The nearest town is Paris, and the nearest airport is Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), about 8.8 miles away (straight line).
When was Sainte-Chapelle built?
Sainte-Chapelle was built 1245.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q193193 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.