I am including the story of the Cosmati Pavement in Westminster Abbey because it is so ancient and beautiiful. It has been covered by carpet for recent coronations.

First a brief reference to the Cosmati floor, in a book entitled Westminster Abbey by Edward Carpenter and David Gentleman. 

"A spectacular adornment to the Abbey was the Cosmati floor given by Abbot Ware in 1268, named after the famous Cosmati family which worked with mosaics in Rome during the thirteenth century. Throughout the Sanctuary and St Edward's Chapel 'the most highly wrought Cosmati pavement ever erected' was installed. Cosmati work consists of coloured pieces of stone arranged in intriguing and intricate patterns. The tragedy is that this example of superb craftsmanship has now permanently to be kept under a carpet because of the disastrous use of a soft English Purbeck for the interlacing bands instead of a harder marble from the Continent." 

That was published in 1987 so how wonderful to know the floor has been restored. 

Up-to-date story of the Cosmati Pavement  from the Westminster Abbey website.