Sainte-Chapelle in Paris was consecrated in 1248.
The chapel was built for King Louis IX, later known as Saint Louis, to house important Passion relics, including what was believed to be the Crown of Thorns. Its upper chapel was designed to maximize the impression of walls made almost entirely of colored glass.
The consecration took place on 26 April 1248, shortly before Louis IX departed on the Seventh Crusade. The building’s stained glass is therefore closely connected with the religious and political ambitions of the medieval French monarchy.
The date is sometimes confused with the later construction of other royal chapels or with the acquisition dates of the relics. Sainte-Chapelle’s architecture and windows belong to the mid-13th-century Gothic building campaign.