Shrine of the Three Kings facts for kids
The Shrine of the Three Kings is a very special container, or reliquary, found in Cologne Cathedral in western Germany. People traditionally believe it holds the bones of the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Kings or Three Wise Men, who visited baby Jesus.
This shrine is huge! It's a large, shiny, and decorated triple sarcophagus (a stone coffin). You can find it placed high up behind the main altar of the cathedral. It was built a long time ago, between 1180 and 1225. Many experts consider it a masterpiece of medieval art from the Mosan region. It's also the biggest reliquary in the Western world.
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The Shrine's Journey Through History
The story of the "relics of the Magi" is quite old. They were first in a city called Constantinople. Then, in 314 AD, a bishop named Eustorgius I brought them to Milan in an oxcart.
Many centuries later, in 1164, a powerful ruler named Frederick Barbarossa took the relics from a church in Milan. He then gave them to the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald of Dassel. Since then, many pilgrims have traveled to Cologne to see these important relics.
Who Built the Shrine?
Parts of the shrine were designed by a famous artist named Nicholas of Verdun. He started working on it around 1180 or 1181. The shrine has beautiful gold sculptures of prophets and apostles. It also shows scenes from the life of Jesus. The whole shrine was finished around 1225.
Around 1199, King Otto IV gave three golden crowns to the church in Cologne. People believed these crowns were made for the Three Wise Men themselves. Because this shrine and the cathedral were so important, the coat of arms of Cologne (the city's official symbol) still shows these three crowns today.
Building Cologne Cathedral
The construction of the huge Cologne Cathedral began in 1248. It was built specifically to house these very important relics. The cathedral took an incredibly long time to finish – 632 years! It is now the largest Gothic church in northern Europe.
In 1864, the shrine was carefully opened. Inside, people found human bones and some old coins. An eyewitness described seeing the bones of three people: one very young, one a young man, and one older. The bones were wrapped in white silk and then placed back inside the shrine.
What the Shrine Looks Like
The Shrine of the Three Kings is truly impressive. It's about 43 inches (110 cm) wide, 60 inches (153 cm) high, and 87 inches (220 cm) long.
How It's Built
It's shaped like a basilica, which is a type of church building. Two sarcophagi (stone coffins) stand side by side. A third sarcophagus rests on top of them, like a roof. The ends of the shrine are completely covered, so you can't see any space between the sarcophagi.
The main structure of the shrine is made of wood. But it's covered with shiny gold and silver. It's also decorated with tiny, delicate metalwork called filigree, colorful enamel, and over 1,000 sparkling jewels and beads. Some of these jewels are ancient carvings called cameos and intaglio pieces, some even older than Christianity.
Amazing Decorations
The entire outside of the shrine is covered with detailed decorations. There are 74 large figures made of silver-gilt (silver covered with gold). On the sides, you can see images of prophets on the lower part. Above them are images of the apostles and evangelists.
On one end of the shrine, you'll find scenes like the Adoration of the Magi (the wise men visiting Jesus). You can also see Mary sitting on a throne with baby Jesus, and the Baptism of Christ. Above these scenes, Christ is shown sitting on a throne at the Last Judgment.
The other end of the shrine shows scenes from the Passion of Christ. These include the scourging of Christ (when he was whipped) and his crucifixion. Above these, you can see the resurrected Christ. This end also has a bust (a sculpture of the head and shoulders) of Rainald of Dassel in the middle.
See also
In Spanish: Relicario de los Tres Reyes Magos para niños
