18/02/2024
NEW PODCAST: Charlemagne in Spain.
If there is a figure in Europe’s old history who deserves a special podcast, that should be Charlemagne (742-814)
He was the Christian Emperor of Europe when the Muslim empire attacked from the south. As you can imagine, he had to come to Spain to learn about this new enemy.
In today’s podcast we talk about Charlemagne in Spain.
Here in Navarra in the picturesque village of Roncesvalles in northern Spain, amidst the majestic Pyrenees mountains, lies a treasure steeped in history and legend: Charlemagne's Chessboard.
An exceptional piece is the “so-called” Charlemagne's Chessboard. According to tradition, the emperor played on it when he heard Roland's call announcing the fatal defeat of the Frankish army (remember the poem “Roland’s song”?). In reality, it is a reliquary where squares with enamels alternate with others that preserve relics protected by glass, and it dates back just to the 13 hundreds.
Its artistic quality derives, on the one hand, from the magnificent translucent enamels and, on the other hand, from the impressive iconographic program ordered from a central panel reserved for the Christ of the Wounds, frequently associated in the Gothic period with the Last Judgment. Surrounding Christ are intercessors, the Virgin and Saint John, and angels carrying the instruments of the Passion.
In two lower rows, various characters emerge from the graves called by trumpeting angels; they are the resurrected on the day of Judgment.
In the central part, we find the symbols of the evangelists: winged lion and bull, angel and eagle (respectively, Mark, Luke, Matthew, and John), two prophets, two seraphim, Saint Catherine, Saint Margaret, and Saint Mary Magdalene.
In the upper row, we see an image of God the creator with the world in his hands, the Annunciation, and a holy bishop.
In the vertical stripes of the border, several apostles are recognized: from left to right: Saint Paul with the sword, Saint John with the palm, Saint Bartholomew with the knife, and Saint Andrew with the cross; and to the right, Saint Peter with the keys, Saint James dressed as a pilgrim (of course as a pilgrim, Roncesvalles is the entrance to Spain for pilgrims)and Saint Jude Thaddeus with the club. More characters with books and phylacteries, some with Jewish caps, fill the horizontal stripes of the border, whose lower central part narrates the stoning of Saint Stephen.
It is believed that the reliquary was made in Montpellier, possibly in the mid-14th century. The reliquary itself is crafted from precious materials such as gold, silver, and ivory, embellished with intricately carved motifs and precious gemstones. The use of cloisonné enamel, a technique in which compartments are created with thin metal wires to hold colored enamel, adds vibrant hues and depth to the design.
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Link here to listen our podcast: Charlemagne in Spain:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5D2Ff3P8BRROUxAY5Mj8r2?si=rLDvJVqHRhecx3nRRXKqyQ
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