Las sandalias de Ulises
Magical
Even when I was little, I never thought my letters to the Three Wise Men should go to Germany! Although I can't imagine children would think it was funny if they thought they were really dead. The shrine is behind the main altar of the Cathedral of Cologne. The inside of the cathedral itself is impressive. As you enter, you see something a big golden glow at the end. It's the largest reliquary in the Western world, a great triple sarcophagus that's gold and richly decorated, it's really beautiful. It measures approximately 110 cm wide, 153 cm high and 220 cm long. It's huge! The three objects form a sort of basilica: two sarcophagus glued to each other, and the third coffin resting on the upper edges of the other two.
The faces are completely covered, so there's no visible space between the sarcophagi. The basic structure is made of wood that's gold and silver plated and decorated with filigree, enamel, and around 1000 precious stones. The relics of the Magi were brought from Milan by the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, which he handed to the Archbishop of Cologne in 1164. The actual construction of the Cathedral began in 1248 to house these important relics. It took 632 years to complete! It's definitely a magical place!
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