The chandelier was donated by Emperor Frederick I and his wife Beatrix and is attached to an ironwork chain of 27 meters. Its octagonal shape was meant to dovetail harmonically and symbolically with the overall structure of the church. Imagery and inscription refer to the Heavenly Jerusalem.
The cupola mosaic displays the adoration of the 24 eldest as written in the book of Revelation, who, at the end of times, offer their crowns to the Lord with covered hands. The recent mosaic dates from the end of the 19th century and cites an engraving by Ciampini from 1699.
The main altar of Aachen Cathedral is decorated by a golden antependium made in the early 11th century. In the center of the antependium Chris the Redeemer is enthroned, accompanied by the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Michael. Grouped around this central image are ten relief panels with scenes from the Passion of Christ.
The Shrine of the Virgin Mary contains the four main relics of Aachen Cathedral since 1239. They constitute the focal point of the Aachen pilgrimage every seven years and are held in veneration as the swaddling cloth and the loincloth of Christ, the dress of the Virgin Mary, and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist.
The Shrine contains the mortal remains of Charlemagne, canonized in 1165, since its completion in 1215. Scenes from the life of Charlemagne by Pseudo-Turpin are displayed upon the roof reliefs, the long axes are each occupied by eight emperors and kings.
The windows of this “glass house” were replaced with ornamental luminous curtains and depictions of the story of salvation and the ascension of man to god in the tretradecagon after their destruction during World War II.
From 936 to 1531 thirty Roman-German kings were crowned at Aachen Cathedral’s main altar and afterwards enthroned on this throne. The four marble slabs, possibly from Jerusalem, exhibit traces of antique graffiti and show the reliquary nature of the throne.
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