Shoes off to relish treasure at the heart of coronation

The Cosmati Pavement in Westminster Abbey marks the exact spot on which British monarchs have been crowned for centuries.

Howard Berry, a marshal at Westminster Abbey, walks across the Cosmati Pavement where the King will be crowned. Picture: PA

For more than 150 years kings, queens and cardinals have been among the few people permitted to tread on one of Britain’s greatest treasures: a medieval mosaic foretelling the end of the world.

Made with rare marbles, glass and gemstones, the Cosmati Pavement in Westminster Abbey marks the exact spot on which British monarchs have been crowned for centuries.

Days after the coronation of King Charles, the 700-year-old artwork will be opened to the public for the first time – on the condition that they remove their shoes.

The intricate mosaic, at the heart of the Abbey’s coronation theatre, is rich in symbolism and is said to depict the universe, with a globe at its centre.

Its allegorical patterns of stone and marble cover an area of 7.5sq m and were laid in 1268 after they were commissioned by Henry III.

A cryptic brass inscription predicts that the world would end after lasting 19,683 years, with a riddle adding together the life spans of animals including dogs, horses, stags, ravens, eagles and whales, as well as humans.

The geometric floor is considered the best surviving example outside Italy of the rare type of mosaic stonework named Cosmati after the Italian family that perfected the technique.

The pavement has been hidden under a carpet and roped off from the public since the 1870s. It was not until 2010 that it was unveiled after a two-year program of conservation work.

This meant that the coronations of Elizabeth II in 1953 and her father, George VI, in 1937, took place with the pavement covered by red felt. However, when Charles is crowned it will remain uncovered.

Charles will be crowned sitting in the Coronation Chair, which will rest on a low-stepped dais above the centre circle of the ancient floor in front of the High Altar.

The tour in the days after the ceremony will reveal the Abbey’s royal links, tell stories from coronations, visit the chair and explain its history and significance.

Tourists will be kept to groups of 10 and asked to walk in socks to protect the pavement in the Sacrarium.

An Abbey spokesman said late last week: “It will be the first time in living memory that the Abbey has invited visitors to walk on the Cosmati pavement where the Coronation Chair will be placed for the crowning of HM the King.”

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