The Exterior and Its Buttresses

With its soaring spire and pointed carvings, the exterior of Sainte-Chapelle is classic Gothic: a visual expression of the longing to reach up to the heavens and to God.

But the real story is lower down. Look at the base of the building and you'll see thick structures jutting well out from the walls. These are the chapel's buttresses, and between them sit dark glass windows. Keep this image in mind as you step inside, and the surprise that awaits will be all the more striking.