Although more famous as a former prison nowadays, La Conciergerie was initially built as a royal palace. Its location in the west part of the island was the throne of Kings of France in medieval era between 10th and 14th century. The palace, which is also known as the Merovingian palace, was then undergone renovations and extensions during King Louis IX and King Philippe IV.
The notable addition made by King Louis IX is the famous Sainte-Chapelle and some galleries associated with the chapel. The chapel was intended to serve as royal chapel so that it was built in the French royal style. Meanwhile, King Philippe IV created the large hall and the façade along the river. The grand hall of the palace was recorded as the largest hall in the Europe at that time. The hall could hold the 2,000 staff who worked in the palace. Its unique section, a lower story which is known as “La salle des gens d’armes” still survives until now in 64 m x 27.5 m x 8.5 m dimension. Unfortunately, its large windows which were used to light up the room were now blocked.