Charlemagne's Relics

Charlemagne was a very holy man that built churches and collected relics throughout this life. This promoted a Christian atmosphere in his kingdom. The most famous Church that he built was the Aachen Church. Aachen is actually a large complex that had a chapel on it which is now referred to as Palatine Chapel. The four main relics that Charlemagne collected now reside in this chapel in the Shrine for the Virgin Mary (pictured right).

The relics that Charlemagne collected attracted pilgrims from all over Europe to visit to indulge in the history of the Catholic Church. The four main relics that are on display today are the swaddling blanket of baby Jesus, the dress of the Virgin Mary, the cloth placed on John the Baptist after he was beheaded, and the cloth worn by Jesus on the Cross. It had become tradition to only show these relics every seven year and this tradition has been continued into the present day. The last time that the relics were shown was 2014 and the nest time they will be shown is in 2021.

The relics are located in a glass box behind the altar of the chapel. They are right next to the Shrine of Charlemagne which houses his remains. He was first buried in the chapel in 814 after his death but his remains were eventually but into a shrine that is present in the chapel today.

Another item that had been preserved from the time of Charlemagne in the Palatine Chapel is Barbarossa's chandelier (pictured left), which was a chandelier that was put in the chapel in 1165 to celebrate Charlemagne's canonization.

Charlemagne collected relics during his lifetime but there was also relics that were put into Aachen that happened after his lifetime. These relics are centered around Christianity and the strong dedication that Charlemagne had to it.

Charlemagne presenting his relics at the Palatine Chapel

References

“Aachen Cathedral.” Aachen Cathedral - New World Encyclopedia, New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Aachen_Cathedral. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017.

Hamdan, Ahmad. “Middle Ages.” Pinterest, 11 Sept. 2015, www.pinterest.com/pin/537265430525322310. Accesses 15 Sept. 2017.

“Sacred Destinations.” Aachen Cathedral - Aachen, Germany, Sacred Destinations, www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/aachen-cathedral. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017.

Bennett, Judith M., and C. Warren Hollister. Medieval Europe: A Short History. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print. 88-93.