The Great Churches of Paris: La Sainte Chapelle

This week, learn about The Gothic Churches of the Late Middle Ages

The Gothic style of architecture, with its pointed arches, rib vaults and flying buttresses, defines the Late Middle Ages. It was developed in France in the mid-12th century, and continued through the 16th century. The new engineering techniques permitted builders to build churches of unprecedented height, size and light. Churches built near and in Paris during this period exemplify the major transitions of the Gothic style, from Early Gothic (Saint-Denis), to Early/High Gothic (Notre-Dame), to Rayonnant Gothic (Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame, Saint-Denis), to Flamboyant Gothic (Saint-Merri, Saint-Séverin, Saint-Eustache).

The Evolution of the Church and Ecclesiastical Architecture in Paris From the Middle Ages to Today

Every Thursday at 12 noon Central Time in Chicago/1 pm Eastern Time in Miami/19h Central European Time in Paris – from January 12 through February 16, 2023

Following the success of the Grands Châteaux of the Loire and Ile-de-France and The Making of the French Garden series of online talks, Russell Kelley spent the summer visiting the most beautiful churches of Paris! Our curator extraordinaire returns to offer a series of 6 talks packed with information about another important pillar of France’s cultural and architectural heritage: the extraordinary variety of churches that were built in every commune in France – but especially in Paris – over the past one thousand years.

Russell Kelley is the curator and moderator of the past two winters’ Zoom lecture series on the “Grands Châteaux of the Loire and Île de France” and the “Making of the French Garden”. He has lived in Paris for 30 years and is the author of The Making of Paris: The Story of How Paris Evolved from a Fishing Village into the World’s Most Beautiful City (Lyons Press, 2021).

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This program is presented in partnership with the Alliance Française Miami Metro with communication support from the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA, the French Heritage Society, and the Association of American Women in Europe.

Through our Entrée Libre initiative, free admission to this program is offered to students enrolled in French Studies in universities and French schools in Chicago and the Midwest. You MUST register with an .edu address to get a Zoom link for the event.