Throughout the virtual tour of Charlemagne’s Palace at Aachen, the immediate and overwhelming ornate details were visible from the entryway of the Palace. The gold, blue-, and yellow-colored tones are seen throughout and consist of late Byzantine and Early Medieval art. The colors and architectural beauty of Charlemagne’s Palace at Aachen ultimately connect decades of artesian history, showing life for the early Medieval leaders and religious believers.
The first room, the dome, holds the most prominent art details and history of the entirety of the Palace cathedral. The architecture consists of the following: “This interior was sumptuously decorated with marble slabs, bronze work, stucco decoration, and mosaics.” (Kleinbauer. 1965). These mosaics and marble slabs include visuals of Early Medieval Christian art. For example, the Cupola Mosaics resting on the top of the domed ceiling show historical and biblical stories connecting societal and religious symbolism. These mosaics told a story from Revelation through the multiple painted figures and ornate gold details. The biblical mosaic paintings connect to eight arches below, flowing down to the circular room surrounded by arches and ornate gold detailing.
These designs were unique to the Early Medieval Christians and became a form of tradition for the following generations of Roman and German Kings. These individuals utilized the symbolism of their religious beliefs through the structure of the Palace at Aachen. Continuing through the Palace of Aachen, the mosaic patterns of floral and stripes intertwined within the marble show the depth of the artisan’s skills and the importance of the building. These designs are in the domed room and flow into the Windows of the Chancel.
The Windows of the Chancel room contain a large-scale scene of stained-glass windows, retelling biblical stories of salvation. Among this room lie two shrines, one for the Virgin Mary and the other for Charlamagne. The golden shrines rest in the architectural beauty of the windows, making them the focal point of the room. The importance of these reliefs and shrines were focal points for the Early Medieval Christian beliefs. Nevertheless, the shrines themselves consist of golden relief sculptures.
Before entering the Windows of the Chancel room, is the Pala d’oro alter that depicts Scriptural scenes. The alter frames the windows and Virgin Mary shrine, creating an ornate visual in the Charlemagne’s Palace at Aachen. Furthermore, the Early Medieval Christians were drawn to the detailed life that European churches consisted of and began popularizing in their society. The importance of Scriptural storytelling, symbolism, and details are seen throughout the Aachen Palace. The culture was derived from the symbolist viewpoint and created their interpretations through architecture, paintings, and mosaics. Charlemagne’s Palace at Aachen ultimately shows the outstanding and breathtaking designs created by the artisans of the early medieval culture.
Despite the context behind the shrines created by these Early Medieval Christians, we can find beauty in their design and overall visuals. The entirety of the Palace at Aachen holds historical depth. While God states the falsehood of idols, we can see the beauty rather than the context in the historical shrines. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Exodus 20:4, ESV Bible) I believe in the medieval culture, we can see how different Christians are today, and with the spread of the Roman church growing in the early culture, we can appreciate their artisan craftsmanship. Furthermore, through the architectural design, shrines, stained-glass windows, alters, and ornate details, I believe the early medieval leader, Charlemagne, sought out a timeless and foundational structure. The entirety of the Charlemagne Palace at Aachen shows how his leadership and culture were influenced by the Early Christian belief system. The interior shows the ornate society that grew into the rich and dark medieval culture.
Hannah J. Pasquini © 2022
References:
Kleinbauer, W. Eugene. “Charlemagne’s Palace Chapel at Aachen and Its Copies.” Gesta, vol. 4, [University of Chicago Press, International Center of Medieval Art], 1965, pp. 2–11, https://doi.org/10.2307/766678 http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/766678
The Bible (ESV) English Standard Version Exodus 20:4 Virtual Tour Charlemagne’s Palace at Aachen: https://www.aachenerdom.de/en/cathedral-experience/3d-virtual-tour/
