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Canterbury
Cathedral Chess Set
A185
The
city of Canterbury has been a place of Christian worship for
nearly two thousand years. Following a major fire at the original
cathedral in 1174, the monks at Canterbury used the revenue from
the many pilgrims visiting the shrine and relics of St Thomas to
create the first Gothic cathedral in England. The rebuilding and
reconstruction continued during the following century and ensured
that at the end of the Middle Ages, Canterbury Cathedral was one
of the noblest churches in Christendom.
Our
skilled designers and sculptors have created from the architecture
and statuary in and around Canterbury Cathedral a chess set of
gracious proportions and great detail.
The
characters in this chess set all have strong connections with
Canterbury Cathedral. The King is represented by King Henry IV
whose body was laid to rest in the cathedral in 1413 next to Joan
of Navarre, his wife, who died in 1437.
The
Bishop is represented by Canterbury’s most well-known
archbishop, Thomas Becket, who was famously slain on the steps of
the altar. The knight is one of the most famous military leaders
of English history, Edward the Black Prince whose body lies in
Trinity Chapel in the cathedral.
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