Louis IX commissioned the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, whose upper chapel is famous for its medieval stained-glass windows.
Louis IX, also known as Saint Louis, built the chapel in the mid-13th century to house important Passion relics, including what were believed to be the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross. Construction began around 1242 and the chapel was consecrated in 1248.
The building was designed as a royal palace chapel rather than a parish church. Its upper chapel is surrounded by tall windows containing extensive 13th-century biblical imagery. The windows are arranged like a monumental visual Bible, with scenes read from left to right and from bottom to top.
A common mix-up is attributing the commission to the French monarchy generally, but the specific royal patron was Louis IX. His grandson Philip IV later commissioned further work at the chapel, including the lower chapel’s decoration.