ThePalatine Chapel in Aachen is anearly medieval chapel and remaining component ofCharlemagne'sPalace of Aachen in what is nowGermany. Although the palace itself no longer exists, the chapel was preserved and now forms the central part ofAachen Cathedral. It isAachen's major landmark and a central monument of theCarolingian Renaissance. The chapel held the remains of Charlemagne. Later it was appropriated by theOttonians and coronations were held there from 936 to 1531.[1]
As part of Aachen Cathedral, the chapel is designated as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[2]
Charlemagne began the construction of the Palatine Chapel around 792, along with the building of the rest of the palace structures.[3] It was consecrated in 805 byPope Leo III in honour of theVirgin Mary. The building is a centrally planned, domed chapel. The east end had a square apse, and was originally flanked by two basilican structures, now lost but known througharchaeology. The chapel was entered through a monumental atrium, to the west. The plan and decoration of the building combines elements ofClassical,Byzantine andPre-Romanesque, and opulent materials as the expression of a new royal house, ruled byCharlemagne.[4]
The architect responsible,Odo of Metz, is named in a tenth-century inscription around the dome:Insignem hanc dignitatis aulam Karolus caesar magnus instituit; egregius Odo magister explevit, Metensi fotus in urbe quiescit. Nothing more is known of him. The building he designed has a simple exterior and a complex interior, with a double shell octagonal dome resting on heavy piers, a two-story elevation, and elaboraterevetment[5] and decoration.
In 936Otto I, the firstHoly Roman Emperor of theOttonian dynasty, took advantage of the chapel's close association with Charlemagne and held his coronation asKing of Germany there. Holy Roman Emperors continued to be crowned in the Palatine Chapel until 1531.[1] In 1000, in what was most likely a symbolic exhibition,Otto III placed the tomb of Charlemagne in the chapel and paid homage to his remains.[6] The original tomb was probably a sepulchral niche, afterwards known as the "Karlsmemorie", but destroyed in 1788.[7]
There is a sixteen-sidedambulatory with a gallery overhead encircling the central octagonal dome. The plan and decoration owe much to the sixth-centuryBasilica of San Vitale,Ravenna. Indeed, Charlemagne visited Ravenna three times, the first in 787. In that year he wrote toPope Hadrian I and requested "mosaic, marbles, and other materials from floors and walls" in Rome and Ravenna, for his palace.[citation needed]
The construction, includingbarrel andgroin vaults and an octagonalcloister-vault in the dome, reflects lateRoman, orPre-Romanesque, practices rather than theByzantine techniques employed atSan Vitale, and its plan simplifies the complex geometry of theRavenna building. Multi-coloured marble veneer is used to create a sumptuous interior. The chapel makes use of ancientspolia, conceivably from Ravenna (Einhard claimed they were fromRome and Ravenna), as well as newly carved materials. The bronze decoration is of extraordinarily high quality, especially the doors with lions heads and the interior railings, with theirCorinthian order columns andacanthus scrolls.
The dome was decorated originally with a fresco, and later with mosaic. In theBaroque period, it was replaced bystucco. The original mosaic was reproduced in the 19th century with the sameiconography as the original. It depicts thetwenty-four elders of theApocalypse bearing crowns and standing around the base of the dome. Above the main altar, and facing the royal throne, is an image ofChrist in Majesty.[8] The upper gallery of the chapel was the royal space, with a special throne area for the king, then emperor, which let onto the liturgical space of the church and onto the atrium outside as well.
The inscription above the ground floor archer reads: "CUM LAPIDES VIVI PACIS CONPAGE LIGANTUR INQUE PARES NUMEROS OMNIA CONVENIENT CLARET OPUS DOMINI, TOTAM QUI CONSTRUIT AULAM EFFECTUSQUE PIIS DAT STUDIIS HOMINUM QUORUM PERFECTUI DECORIS STRUCTURA MANEBIT SI PERFECTA AUCTOR PROTEGAT ATQUE REGAT SIC DEUS HOC TUTUM STABILI FUNDAMINE TEMPLUM QUOD PRINCEPS CAROLUS CONDIDIT ESSE VELIT".[9]
The main entrance is dominated by awestwork comprising the western facade including the entrancevestibule, rooms at one or more levels above, and one or more towers. These overlook the atrium of the church. The addition of a westwork to churches is one of the Carolingian contributions toWestern architectural traditions.
The bronze doors symbolize the Carolingian Renaissance in metalwork, on a scale not seen since the Roman Empire.[10]
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