Tour du Saint Jacques

We spent a lot of time on the metro and from just about every exit from Les Halles, you can see this tower with its somewhat uneven decoration on top. I assumed it was part of a church and I was interested in seeing it up close to determine how many times that tower had been changed. When we finally got to its base...there was no church. Definitely full of history, the tower was originally part of Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie, the patron church of the Butcher's guild and a popular pilgrimage church on the way to Santiago de Compostela. Built between 1509-1523, it's definitely in the Flamboyant Gothic, late gothic style. Demolished during the Revolution, the tower was used as Pascal's lab for understanding atmospheric pressure. In the 19th century, the tower was restored and placed onto a pedestal to achieve its original height. At the same time, the statue of Saint James the Great got placed on top making the unevenness that caught my eye and probably beloved it to the Surrealists.

all those nooks and crannies, thanks Flamboyant Gothic!

the slightly out of place 19th century Saint James statue

the more standard but quirky other gargoyles

St.Paul-St.-Louis

Commissioned by Louis XIII and completed by 1641, St Paul and St Louis is one of the oldest examples of Jesuit architecture in Paris. It is heavily baroque and classically inspired. The church also served as a 'Temple of Reason' during the Revolution.

so Baroque! this facade gives you no hint of what's inside

clock close up

then you step inside and oh ho!

best holy water container ever?

195ft dome!

over the altar

this is the stained glass style-small and delicate, emphasis on light

they didn't skimp on the organ either

Sainte Chapelle

Ever since I took my first architecture course I've wanted to go to Sainte Chapelle. Just from photos, it looks so wondrous that I knew that if I ever ended up in Paris-this was a definite, I-would-cry-if-I-did-not-see to do. It's hard to photograph but I was not disappointed-it's as beautiful as I'd hoped even filled full with tourists. Sainte Chapelle was built as a royal chapel (i.e. connected to the palace) for the storing of precious relics bought by Louis IX. The relics (like the crown of thorns) cost less than the chapel and it is Louis IX who became Saint Louis. The chapel is a brilliant 13th century example of High Gothic which sought to replace as much stone with glass as feasible. It survived the French Revolution almost by chance when it became an administrative office though not much of the original furnishings survive.

Nowadays it's a bit engulfed by the Palace of Justice making long shots of the exterior all but fantasy.

the spire is actually a 19th century construction designed by the man who restored the interior.

its entrance is a bit austere seeming and this is all the medieval peasants would have been able to see while going to the market that flourished nearby

nyeh nyeh goes this gargoyle

the entrance to the lower chapel

I actually love the lower chapel despite its darkness. I love the thought that this entirely functional foundation is still as beautiful as possible.

interior flying buttressing distributing weight

set into the walls are roundels with saints as well as statues-and all around the royal sigils

is it possible to view the upper chapel without being overwhelmed by just how high and beautiful that glass is? (I hope not)

it's so vibrant! (there're 1130 figures in there)

it's so tall!

how grand does the reliquary look?

once you can't bear to tilt your head anymore, you can start taking in the details at people level

like the carved stonework, more delicate scenes and a playful fake curtain

something about fake curtains...

and how sacred it looks underneath the reliquary

you look at what's under your feet

step outside onto the upper porch for a breather

admire the lovely carving

check out the 15th century rose window

Lourve Exteriors

Last week I demonstrated that I was near the Lourve by ducking into Saint Germain l'Auxerrois. How does one walk through the Lourve Palace complex without taking pictures?

the oratory

I love all the little nooks and hallways you find all over the complex

this eagle looks a little worried

such classy elaboration...

I was enchanted by the prism effect of the pyramid that cast a proper triangle of glints onto the building-hadn't noticed that the last time I was here!

couldn't resist a pano