The Duomo Treasury is considered the best North of the Alps and on Monday it closes at 1.00PM. After checking into the hotel we were soon down ready to inspect the relics.
The gate to the city very close to our hotel.
The Treasury and the Cathedral have many reliquaries. This is Charlemagne's hand.
The famous bust of Charlemagne. It contains his skull.
A crown normally sits on top of his head but it is on loan to Prague. This side view shows the lid on top of the head open so it is possible to see the skull.
We made two visits to the Duomo. The second was with a guide so that we had access to upstairs and his throne.
Inside the Carolingian octagon. It was an amazing building constructed between 794 and 810.
The stained glass was fashioned on Saint Chappelle in Paris. All replaced after WWII. Actually the 4th lot of glass!
Detail of the window in the St. Nicholas chapel
The reliquary of Charlemagne in the Duomo. It contains his bones with the exception of the bits in other reliquires,
They have a long list of other relics that have been in place since the 4th century. They can't be authenticated prior to that. There was a major trade in fake relics about then well into the medieval period. The relics include part of the robe that Mary wore when Jesus was born, Jesus's belt and also Marys, the flagelation rope from the death of Jesus and many, many more.
Charlemagne's throne. Most of the German Kings and Queens were crowned here.
External detail of the Duomo.
The Town Hall stands on the ruins of Charlemagne's Palace. Very impressive place.
The Rathaus or Town Hall
Gail in the Coronation Hall. Venue for the banquet!
Now for the serious photos!
Gail at the fountain.
We stopped at a small boutique bar that had a delivery Goggomobile from the 1960's
They had a huge range.This is a beer made in Aachen. They even had draft Trappist beer.
3 comments:
What do you reckon, all Australian readers were saying "G O G G O..." in an unintelligible Scottish accent as they read that? Meanwhile, Matt sorted through his bottlecap collection and showed me the lid from the Aachen beer he had recently.
I have a morbid fascination with the idea of storing bits of long dead bodies. Skulls, hands, bit of robes etc... Love it!
(By the way Di, I did hear g o g g o in that accent when I read it)
I also read it in the same way, haha
And that is just macabre isn't it - the real skull inside!!!
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