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Cologne Cathedral: Shrine of the Magi (1200)

Shrine of the Magi (1200)

Dating from c.1200, the beautiful Shrine of the Magi is the largest reliquary in the western world. The exterior is covered in a total of seven feet of gilded silver and jewels pillaged from Constantinople during the Crusades. Images of Old Testament prophets line the bottom while the twelve apostles decorate the top. Inside are three golden-crowned skulls believed to belong to the Magi. These relics were taken from Milan by Fredrick Barbarossa and given to the Archbishop of Cologne in 1164.

Credit: Holly Hayes