Charlemagne’s Chapel

Charlemagne was the first Frankish king to build a permanent capital city. He decided to do so in 789 and chose Aachen because of its natural warm springs. There he built a palace complex that, besides a grand living area for himself and his retinue, included a chapel (a small semiprivate church). Today the entire chapel is enclosed within Aachen’s cathedral. (Aachen Cathedral, Aachen, Germany / Bildarchiv Steffens / Bridgeman Images.)