Church · Germany · Restored

Palatine Chapel in Aachen

Pfalzkapelle in Aachen

The Palatine Chapel in Aachen is the central, surviving part of Charlemagne's early medieval palace complex and now forms the core of Aachen Cathedral. It is a centrally planned, domed chapel of an octagonal central space surrounded by a sixteen-sided ambulatory with an overhead gallery. Built for Charlemagne and consecrated in 805, the chapel combines classical, Byzantine and Pre‑Romanesque elements and served as a royal and imperial liturgical centre.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

AD 801

Its prime

AD 805

Today

Restored

As it stood in AD 805

What Palatine Chapel in Aachen looked like in its prime.

A compact octagonal chapel mass capped by a high, multi‑faceted dome clad in grey slate with a small octagonal lantern; the exterior shows thick masonry piers and two levels of arched fenestration. The interior is a two‑storey elevation: heavy marble‑clad piers supporting an ambulatory gallery, rich multi‑coloured marble revetments, slender Corinthian columns, bronze fittings and a gilded domed decoration depicting Christ in Majesty and standing elders.

Step inside

7 places to explore in AD 805.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Palatine Chapel in Aachen, including 3 interiors: central octagon under the dome, sixteen‑sided ambulatory with overhead gallery, upper royal gallery and imperial throne area. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Westwork approach and bronze doorsSouthwest exterior view of the octagonal domeCentral octagon under the domeSixteen‑sided ambulatory with overhead galleryUpper royal gallery and imperial throne areaDetail of the bronze doors and metalworkInterface with the later choir and sculpted portal

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