The Palatine Chapel is a medieval chapel that was part of Charlemagne's palace, now included in the Cathedral in Aachen, Germany. It is the city's major landmark and the central monument of the so-called Carolingian Renaissance. The chapel holds the remains of Charlemagne and was the site of coronations for 600 years.
As part of the Aachen Cathedral, the chapel is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Charlemagne began the construction of t...
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The Palatine Chapel is a medieval chapel that was part of Charlemagne's palace, now included in the Cathedral in Aachen, Germany. It is the city's major landmark and the central monument of the so-called Carolingian Renaissance. The chapel holds the remains of Charlemagne and was the site of coronations for 600 years.
As part of the Aachen Cathedral, the chapel is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Charlemagne began the construction of the Palatine Chapel around 792, along with the building of the rest of the palace structures. It was consecrated in 805 by Pope Leo III in honor of the Virgin Mary. The building is a centrally planned, domed chapel. The east end has a square apse, and was originally flanked by two basilican structures, now lost but known through archaeology. The chapel was entered through a monumental atrium, to the west. The plan and decoration of the building combines elements of Classical, Byzantine and Pre-Romanesque, and opulent materials as the expression...
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