baldaquin

Baldaquin, baldaquin, or baldachin is a decorative canopy placed over an object of importance, such as a throne, an altar, or a bed. The term derives from the Italian baldacchino and is used in various European languages to denote a ceremonial canopy that signifies authority, sanctity, or nobility. In architecture, a baldachin is a canopy structure, often supported by columns and richly adorned with fabric, gold, or sculpture. It serves to mark the importance of the space or person beneath it. A notable example is the Baroque baldachin by Gian Lorenzo Bernini that covers the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

In interiors, a bed baldaquin is a canopy over a bed, suspended from a frame or posts and draped with textiles. It provided privacy and decoration in historical aristocratic settings and remains a feature in some traditional bedrooms or photographic studios.

In ceremonial contexts, baldaquins symbolize sovereignty and religious veneration. They appear in heraldry and liturgical settings, and they can be used in theater or stage design to indicate a throne or sacred space.