Visigothic consecration crowns

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Krone Rekkeswinths with Pendilien
Detail of the crown of Rekkeswinths

The term Visigoth consecrated crowns are used to describe several votive crowns with hanging devices from the Guarrazar treasure trove, which were kept in a sanctuary (church) or consecration room and were probably hung over the altar or a saint's grave. The crowns were probably never worn, but made as consecration crowns from the start. But the similarity of the two largest consecrated crowns, donated by the kings Suinthila (621–631) and Rekkeswinth (649 / 653–672), with pictorial representations of Byzantine diadems or crowns, is striking. In their artistic design, they are in the Byzantine tradition, but are likely to be works of Toledan court art. It is one of the most striking examples of Visigoth art in Spain.

Find history

In 1858 farmers from Guadamur in the province of Toledo found several golden consecration crowns and hanging crosses as well as other implements in the Guarrazar field . It was not until spring 1859 that José Amador de los Ríos carried out regular excavations on behalf of the Real Academia de la Historia . It could be clarified that the treasure had been hidden in two hiding places on the edge of a burial ground and a cella memoria .

A part of the treasure find reached Paris shortly after it was found, where there are still three crowns, two crosses and several pendants that are kept in the Musée national du Moyen Age (formerly Musée de Cluny ). Most of the treasure (six crowns, five crosses, a pendant etc.) has been in Madrid in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional de España since 1941 ; a crown, a cross and a gem with a depiction of the Annunciation are in the Royal Palace ( Palacio Real ) in Madrid, from which Suinthila's crown was stolen in 1921.

New investigations in Guarrazar took place between 2002 and 2005 by the German Archaeological Institute in Madrid under the direction of Christoph Eger. Using geophysical methods, the extent of the site and the building structures still resting in the ground could be recognized. Probes showed that Guarrazar was still inhabited in the post-Visigothic period. New excavations have been taking place since 2013.

Krone Rekkeswinths

The most important piece of the treasure, the crown of Rekkeswinth, is hung on four chains; on a fifth hangs - below the ring crown - a cross about 10 cm high and adorned with blue gemstones and white pearls, which is considered a work of Byzantine style. The diadem-like , d. H. The crown itself is decorated with a circumferential pattern made of pinnate branches, which were deposited with gemstones. Large gemstones and pearls mark the crossing points. Letters are attached to the crown on short chains ( pendilies ), on which - in Latin capital letters - the inscription + [R] ECCESVINTUS REX OFFERET appears; the missing 'R' is in Paris.

Other consecration crowns

The consecration crowns shown below also come from the Guarrazar treasure trove ; they are all located in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional de España (MNAH) in Madrid. The materials and design are comparable to those of the Krone Rekkeswinths. The two middle crowns are open on the sides; the fourth crown consists of four - connected by hinges - embossed and set with semi-precious stones.

See also

literature

  • Alicia Perea (Ed.): El tesoro visigodo de Guarrazar. Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología u. a., Madrid 2001, ISBN 84-00-07732-6 .
  • Christoph Eger: Crown and cross of King Svinthilas. Visigoth court art and plate inlaying in the 6th and 7th centuries. In: Madrider Mitteilungen. 45, 2004, ISSN  0418-9744 , pp. 449-506.
  • Alicia Perea: Visigothic filigree in the Guarrazar (Toledo) and Torredonjimeno (Jaén) treasures. Historic Metallurgy 40.1 (2006).
  • Christoph Eger: Guarrazar (province of Toledo). Report on the investigations from 2002 to 2005 . In: Madrid Communications. 48, 2007, ISSN  0418-9744 , pp. 267-305.
  • Maria Filomena Guerra, Thomas Galligaro, Alicia Perea: The treasure of Guarrazar. Tracing the gold supplies in the Visigothic Iberian peninsula. Archeometry 49.1 (2007) pp. 53-74.

Web links

Commons : Visigothic consecration crowns  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. M: AN Museo Arqueológico Nacional / National Archaeological Museum of Spain URL: http://www.man.es/man/coleccion/catalogo-cronologico/edad-media/guarrazar.html Title: Tesoro de Guarrazar Language: Spanish

Coordinates: 39 ° 48 '52 "  N , 4 ° 8' 44"  W.