Medieval Crowns and Scepters Discovered Hidden Inside the Walls of a Crypt Beneath a Lithuanian Cathedral

By Free Republic | Created at 2025-01-15 04:24:09 | Updated at 2025-01-15 08:27:50 4 hours ago

Medieval Crowns and Scepters Discovered Hidden Inside the Walls of a Crypt Beneath a Lithuanian Cathedral
Smithsonian Magazine ^ | January 10, 2025 | Sonja Anderson

Posted on 01/14/2025 7:49:35 PM PST by SunkenCiv

In the crypts of a Lithuanian cathedral, researchers have discovered a trove of royal treasure: crowns, jewelry and a scepter that belonged to several Lithuanian-Polish monarchs from the 15th and 16th centuries. The regalia had been hidden for 85 years—since it was stowed for safekeeping beneath the Vilnius Cathedral in southeastern Lithuania.

Last fall, experts were invited to explore Vilnius Cathedral's subterranean level, where they used an endoscopic camera to look into cracks and holes in the crypt's walls. In December, the researchers opened "a secret hiding place" in the church's crypts, "where the royal regalia was hidden at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939," as Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grušas told reporters earlier this week, per the Polish news network TVP World...

The collection includes a crown of Alexander Jagiellon, the king of Poland between 1501 and 1506. It also features crowns, chains, medallions, scepters, orbs and rings belonging to Elisabeth of Austria (also known as Elżbieta Habsburżanka) and Barbara Radziwiłł—the first and second wives of Sigismund II Augustus, who served as king of Poland in the mid-1500s...

Each of these kings acted also as grand dukes of Lithuania, as Poland and Lithuania were united between the 14th and 18th centuries.

(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...

TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; lithuania; poland; vilnius

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The crowns were buried with kings and queens of Poland, who were also grand dukes and duchesses of Lithuania.Aiste Karpyte

1 posted on 01/14/2025 7:49:35 PM PST by SunkenCiv

To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

2 posted on 01/14/2025 7:50:21 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)

To: SunkenCiv

You have to hope that whoever hid them — wherever they might be — has the good fortune to learn they have been found at last, but not by the Nazis. Well done indeed.

3 posted on 01/14/2025 8:04:53 PM PST by Paal Gulli

To: SunkenCiv

4 posted on 01/14/2025 8:09:58 PM PST by FreeperCell

To: Paal Gulli

“....... but not by the Nazis”.

Or the Soviets.

5 posted on 01/14/2025 8:12:49 PM PST by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possiWe neve hear of gambling paying off $billioble.)

To: SunkenCiv

quite the modest crown of fire...

6 posted on 01/14/2025 8:15:35 PM PST by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)

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