Charlemagne is 1200

28 January 2014 will mark the twelve hundredth anniversary of Charlemagne's death (748-814).  He is buried in the Aachen Cathedral, Germany, very close to Mariawald, where I shall be for some days in a few weeks.

Aachen's city anthem is Urbs Aquensis, urbs regalis (Aachen, Royal City), a Latin sequence from the 12th Century. It was created after the canonization of Charlemagne on 29 December 1165 under the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa as part of the Charles Liturgy.  Charlemagne was canonized for political reasons; however, the Church today does not recognize his sainthood.  The hymn, which includes a Stella maris stanza, is quite noble.

Urbs Aquensis, urbs regalis,
regni sedes principalis,
prima regum curia.

Regi regum pange laudes,
quae de magni regis gaudes
Caroli praesentia.

Iste coetus psallat laetus,
psallat chorus hic sonorus,
vocali concordia.

At dum manus operatur,
bonum quod cor meditatur,
dulcis est psalmodia.

Hac in die, die festa,
magni regis magna gesta,
recolat Ecclesia,

Reges terrae et omnes populi,
omnes simul plaudant et singuli,
celebri laetitia.

Hic est magnus imperator,
boni fructus bonus sator,
et prudens agricola,

Infideles hic convertit,
fana, deos hic evertit
et confringit idola.

Hic superbos domat reges,
hic regnare sacras leges
facit cum justitia.

Quam tuetur eo fine
ut et justus sed nec sine
sit misericordia.

Stella maris, o Maria,
mundi salus, vitae via,
alma nostra Domina.

Vacillantum rege gressus
et ad regem des accessus
in perenni gloria.

Christe splendor Dei patris
incorruptae fili matris
gentem tuam adjuva.

Per hunc sanctum, cuius festa
celebramus, nobis praesta
sempiterna gaudia.

Cf. http://www.kathnews.de/karlspreisverleihung-in-aachen-an-litauische-praesidentin