Hezilo chandelier, Medieval wheel chandelier in Hildesheim Cathedral, Germany

The Hezilo chandelier is a large circular wheel chandelier in Hildesheim Cathedral featuring 72 candle holders set along a copper hoop with gilded details. Latin inscriptions run along its upper and lower edges, while three bands of intricate foliage openwork separate these text sections.

After Altfrid's cathedral burned in 1046, Bishop Hezilo rejected his predecessor Azelin's plan for a new building and rebuilt the old cathedral with alterations, hanging the chandelier in its nave. Restoration work followed in the 16th century and at the start of the 19th and 20th centuries. Dismantled and removed during the Second World War, it hung in the crossing from 1960 and returned to the nave in 2014.

The chandelier embodies the New Jerusalem described in the Book of Revelation, with its twelve towers and twelve gatehouses mirroring this heavenly city around its perimeter. Visitors can see this sacred meaning reflected in the balanced arrangement and religious symbols throughout the structure.

The chandelier hangs within the cathedral at a height that makes it well visible, though examining fine details requires viewing from different angles throughout the interior. The piece underwent major restoration work between 2002 and 2007, significantly improving its condition and appearance.

The ropes that carry the chandelier are anchored at the rear of the twelve flat gatehouses, each crowned with the name of an apostle; the doorways probably once held apostle figures. In the centre a large lamp hung from a chain. The hoop's ornamentation includes elements of Islamic art, which scholars read as support for its link to Jerusalem.