Everyone knows how popular cathedrals are in Unesco´s list. I know how some kind of a fatique can emerge ticking off yet another one. But do please forget about these kind of prejudice when visiting Aachen. This one is truly worthy of its worldheritage qualification.

Already when entering the church you’ll know this one is special. You will probably be impressed by its coulourful mosaics, not a sight very common with (gothic) cathedrals, and its overall appearance. But it gets way better than that. What I think makes it more interesting is the stroy behind the building, its hidden symbolism. This stuff fascinates me and Charlemagne didn’t disappoint me.

Emperor Charlemagne saw himself as the successor of Roman ancestors. He built a new empire and wanted his chapel to reflect that. Therefore, the octagonal shape of the Palatine core wasn’t about aesthetics but because of religious motives. The octagon has eight sides. For christians the eight stands for rebirth, a new beginning. The resurraction of Jesus was on the first day of a new week, aka the eigth day. But not only his resurraction was a new start, so was his birth. His mother Mary is therefore connected to the number eight as well. It’s no coincidence the cathedral was named after her.

Since the ancients the octagon is seen as a form between the square (earth) and the circle (heaven) The octagon stood in between these basic forms just like the emperor stood between God and its people. There’s more. In the book Revelations the prophet speaks about a heavenly Jerusalem built from the number twelve, the number of perfection and angels. The measuring of the number twelve can be found everywhere in the cathedral, for example the octagon measures 144 feet, 12 x12.

I like these kind of details. I was always teached that people from the ancients weren’t that bright but they certainly knew about their classics. About building with a meaning, about perfection in size etc. Fascinating stuff but I already said that.