Throne of Charlemagne

[2] Charlemagne himself was not crowned on this throne, but instead in the Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome by Pope Leo III in 800 AD.

[4] Based on the surface treatment and the presence of etchings from several eras of pagan and Christian themes, it can be concluded that when the plates were installed here, they had belonged to at least two contexts already.

[3] The wooden interior structure, which is now in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn, supported a now-lost marble seating plate.

The placement of the throne is in a tight structural context within the Palatine chapel, whose proportional ratios create a symbolic image of the Heavenly Jerusalem, expressed in numbers.

Probably following the biblical model of the throne of Solomon, which also placed the ruler in a separate sphere by means of a gallery, the throne was assigned the highest place and thereby unmistakably symbolised the Emperor's claim to temporal and spiritual rulership over the realm and his function as mediator between heaven and earth.

The view of the enthroned ruler falls to the east in the expectation that the Last Judgement would come from this direction and along with it the end of all temporal rule.

The four columns of the stone podium could represent the world ruled by the temporal sovereign with its four elements (fire, water, air, and earth), its four seasons, and its four cardinal directions.

Accordingly, the crowned king taking his place on the royal throne could be assured that the Archangel literally "had his back".