Chair of St Augustine, Ceremonial throne in Canterbury Cathedral, England
The Chair of St Augustine is a marble throne in Canterbury Cathedral that serves as the official seat used by archbishops during their enthronement. It stands in the sanctuary of the cathedral and is made from old stone that shows visible signs of repair and age.
The current throne dates from 1204 and was made after the fire of 1174 that badly damaged the cathedral and destroyed the earlier seat. That reconstruction shaped much of what visitors see in the cathedral today.
The chair takes its name from Saint Augustine, who first brought Christianity to England in the late 6th century, and it remains central to the life of the Anglican Church today. Visitors often notice how it is treated less as a furnishing and more as a living link to the origins of English Christianity.
The chair can be seen in the cathedral sanctuary during regular opening hours throughout most of the year. It is worth arriving early in the day to avoid larger visitor groups and to have a quieter moment near this part of the building.
During the enthronement ceremony, the new archbishop must sit in three different seats: in the choir, in the chapter house, and finally on this ancient stone. This three-part sequence is rarely found in any other Christian tradition.
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