Analysis Of The Reliquary Bust Of Charlemagne

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Recommended: Politics in the medieval period

Symbolism Traditions As Stimulated By the Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne (c. 1349)

Kerianne Plunkett
April 21, 2014
ARH3800 – Medieval Pilgrimages
Word Count: 3,289

The Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne (c. 1349) emphasizes the permanence of Charlemagne’s (742/747/748-814) ideal leadership. However, through the traditions and legacies left behind, later rulers were able to imitate his politics in order to amplify their reign. I will argue that in similarities of the sovereigns, Charlemagne’s eighth and ninth century legacy is upheld through traditions via thirteenth century Charles IV (1316-1378) in politically connecting symbolism found between both eras in terms of religion, art, and locations as stimulated by the Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne. In order to demonstrate the symbolism, I will first examine both rulers affinity towards religion through the Holy Roman Emperor, Christianity, and the importance of relics. Next, I will explore the significance of symbolism in medieval art through materials, shape, and reliquaries. To conclude, I will speak on the tradition of location through architecture, Holy Roman Empirical capitals, and ceremony in Charlemagne and Charles IV’s reigns. Studies have not been conducted on the political effects of proliferating ancestry among specific lineages of Holy Roman Emperors. By considering the symbolism in these ties, my study provides a deeper understanding of political endeavors in the Middle Ages through a comparison of Charlemagne and Charles IV.
The Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne was commissioned for and has always remained in the Aachen Cathedral Treasury in Aachen, Germany. It has been on public display since 1349. As tradition holds, the reliquar...

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...ishing this tradition, Charles brought the Holy Roman Empire back to its origins with Charlemagne in Aachen as opposed to Rome, where all Holy Roman Emperors had been crowned between Charlemagne and Charles IV.
In conclusion, by continuing in the tradition of the ideal ruler, Charles IV not only bettered his empire but created traditions able to be associated back to him as well. Interests of the past never fully dissipate when knotted together throughout history. True legacies are upheld through tradition, seen through Charles IV’s dedication and devotion to his namesake, Charlemagne, even over numerous centuries and even continuing after Charles. In Charlemagne’s footsteps, Charles’s religious practices, patronage of the arts, and mirroring of architecture becomes visible in a political medium .

Figure 1: The Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne (c. 1349)
Endnotes:

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