It is said that the Crown of Thorns, and some other relics closely as important, came to Paris in the August of 1239, in the hands of two Dominica Friars, to whom they had been pawned. The King, Louise IX, purchased these relics at the huge price they asked - 135,000 lives. It had been under the shelter of the Latin Emperor Baldwin II of Constantinople. The Sainte-Chapel was built on the Île de la Cité, in the courtyard of the palace. On the 26th April 1248, the building, which had stonework covered by paintings and sculptures of saints and of martyrs, and which by then had a number of the most coveted religious relics in the world, was consecrated.

With this, Louise IX, who could later be canonized, became one of the most powerful men in the world, with the very heart of Western Christendom in his courtyard itself. Rome was no longer the uttermost symbol of power it had been, the throne of Constantinople, which was underneath the Count of Flanders, was no longer imperial. And so, the Sainte-Chapel became a symbol of power, one of sheer and commanding beauty.

This is how it was seen for the duration of the French Revolution of 1789, as well, when much of it is architecture, including the fabled steeple and baldachin, were taken away. The people's revolution likewise saw the last of the relics that had been housed in the chapel for centuries. The stained glass windows, the most noteworthy feature of the chapel, also suffered, altho closely two thirds of the windows escaped hurt and are still intact.

The Sainte-Chapel is an splendid example of one of the most stunning pieces of architecture of the time. Its style is quintessentially called 'Rayonnant', which was the style within Gothic architecture that was reaching it is zenith for the duration of the period. The rose windows of the upper chapel, an innovation in the fifteenth century, the intricate and delicate stone framework for the lovely stained glass windows and the imposing, but weightless impression that the chapel gives are all part of what makes it one of the best examples in the world of this queer style of architecture. After the French Revolution, a good part of the Chapel had to be restored and recreated, altho the spirit of the original style was respected.

What is Paris without it is glorious luxury? So, if you don't stay at least one day at a lavishness hotel in Paris, you'll be missing out a wondrous experience. But, keep in mind that you have to book your Paris hotel rather ahead, as the city is always crowded with tourists.

The Origin of the Image of Our Lady of Czestochowa

Our Lady Travels the World

It is having little impact to determine that St. Luke painted the effigy which is now in Czestochowa than to track the history of the effigy down through the ages. Everything we tell you of the early history of the motion of the effigy of Our Lady is from tradition. The original motion out of Jerusalem occurred when the Romans came and destroyed the city in 70 A.D. It was brought by zealot Christian women up to the mountains, where it remained, to the best of anyone's knowledge, for 300 years. Now, it had to have an enormous amount of meaning to the daughters of Jerusalem, who cared for it over the centuries. Great pains were taken to insure that it was protected versus all who came versus the Church and the early members of the Church. They hid the effigy in caves, and through respective underground tunnels to safe havens. They did this underneath the threat of imprisonment, torture and death, if caught.

In the year 326, or thereabouts, Queen Helena arrived in the Holy Land to gather relics of the early Faith, including parts of the True Cross, one of the Nails, portion of the Crown of Thorns, as well as the sign above the Crucifix of Jesus, which read, "INRI, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" and the firsthand effigy of the Blessed Mother of God, painted by the evangelist St. Luke. This was surely an necessary relic to fetch back to her son Constantine.

When St. Helena arrived in Jerusalem, she was put in contact with the holy ladies who had been unofficial custodians of the only firstborn painting of Our Lady in existence for all those centuries. The fame of St. Helena must have preceded her to the Holy Land, because she was given charge of this most essential painting without hesitation. She brought it back to Constantinople along with other relics, and staged them to her son. He was so taken back by the beauty of the image, but likewise the sadness, he had a church built in her honor, dedicating it to the Holy Name of Mary. Did Constantine spend time with Our Lady here in this Church? Did he undertake to imagine, looking at the eyes of this most magnificent painting, what She was sentiment as She recounted the sufferings of Her Son? Did she speak to him there? Did he listen and act on Her words?

The Church and the effigy drew pilgrims from hundreds of miles around. They came and prayed; they petitioned Our Lady. Our dear Mother Mary blessed those who venerated her effigy in that place. Healings and miracles took place. People from far and wide came to the church for healings and conversions. Dear Mother Mary answered all their prayers. The effigy of Our Lady became famous all around the country.

So powerful was the effigy of Our Lady in Constantinople, that the persons venerated her in this church for centuries. The future emperors of the Byzantine Empire gave her the same honor and respect that St. Helena and her son Constantine had done for the duration of their lifetimes. As a matter of fact, they employed the painting to protect them from an onslaught by the Saracens in one of their some failed attempts to conquer Constantinople. In this instance, the persons of the town had so much faith in the power the Lord Jesus had given to Our Lady in this image; they carried the effigy all around the city and around the barriers surrounding the city. The Saracens could see the power of God in this effigy of Our Lady, and fled in fear. It is remindful of the Miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi when St. Clare of Assisi kept up the Monstrance with Our Lord Jesus presents, to ward off an attack by Saracens on her convent. They looked up at the Monstrance, saw the power of God in it, and ran for their lives. They never returned to San Damiano or Assisi again.

Our Lady Goes to Poland

Over the centuries, the Byzantine Empire lost more and more of it is territory, and more and more of it is power. Factions attacked from all sides weakening the empire. Infighting amid the rulers likewise helped to fetch in regards to the demise. But most likely, the most significant factor, which led to the decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire, was it turned it is back on Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary. History does repeat itself, make no fault when it comes to that! We have seen more instances of outstanding powers brought to their knees when they have walked away from Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary. The Byzantine Empire was no exception. There was a finish breakdown in religious practices. Some of the emperors hated Christianity, and genuinely went out of their way to destruct any vestiges of devotion, statues, relics and sacred objects.

However, the effigy of Our Lady was so important, and of such spiritual value to the nobility of Constantinople, they hid the effigy inside the palace of the emperor. Actually in a lot of cases, the wife or daughter of the emperor hid the effigy for safe-keeping. Then, for the duration of the next five hundred years, mothers would bequeath the effigy to a daughter or son who had not lost his faith, and still esteemed the Sacred Painting; and they would give it as a wedding present, or on galore similar occasion, to another child, until such time as the city of Constantinople was in risk of being destroyed.

If we were to take a look at the Byzantine Empire, at the time of it is inception, it covered a outstanding span of countries. In 550 A.D., it encompassed all the countries around the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy, Greece, the Holy Land, southern Spain, and Northern Africa. In 1050 A.D., in the midst of it is decline, it only controlled Italy, Greece, and Antioch. In 1453, it fell to the Ottoman Turks, and by the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, the Byzantine Empire was no more.

Tradition tracks the motion of the Sacred Painting of Our Lady from Constantinople to Russia. The reasoning for this was that "...the Christian Faith moved through Bulgaria, Moravia, the Czech Republic and in the end to Russia." The next question we would naturally ask is, "Well, how did it get from Russia to Poland?" Our exploration tells us that there was a great deal of inter-marriage amid Russian autocrats and Polish royalty. A most suitable dowry gift to be given was the Sacred Image of Our Lady. So the painting was protected and propagated over the centuries by the nobility, introductory of Russia, and then when the Ukraine collapsed and became share of the kingdom of Poland, it wound up in a castle in Belz, a region which had been in Russia and then became percentage of Poland. Upon the death of King Casimir the Great, the throne was put into the hands of Prince Ladislaus.

When Ladislaus assumed the throne, his primary act was to recapture all the castles which had been controlled by the Russians. Upon the capture of the castle at Belz, he gave great respect and honor to the Sacred Image of Our Lady. At this point, the Sacred Image was raised to the level of a Shrine. A special place was given to the effigy within the castle, and great reverence was remunerated to Our Lady. But this was not to last.