Crowns are expensive, unwieldy, usually gaudy and justify hereditary authoritarian power structures - in other words really cool, and Europe has loads, all with interesting histories and confusing origins, so lets talk about some of the ones i find most interesting

[THREAD]
I. The CROWN OF SAINT STEPHEN - the coronation crown of Hungary, used in over fifty coronations from the 12th century until the last in 1916, it was seen as integral to the legitimacy of the monarch - its significance to Hungarians has been compared to as the Ark is for Jews
I. The crown is one of Europe's oldest; traditionally, the crown was said to be given to Stephen I (hence the name) by Pope Sylvester II, and used in his coronation in 1000, but it was more likely created for King Béla III's coronation in 1173 by the Byzantines
I. Either way, it is agreed that the crown has two main components of different ages - the original, older 11th c. Corona Graeca of Byzantine origin, the base 'circlet', which depicts Christ, numerous Angels & Saints and also various Byzantine Emperors & Hungarian Kings
I. The Corona Graeca is notably in the style of a Byzantine Empresses' crown, and was probably originally for a woman, and bore very different images, before it was remodelled and given to the Hungarian monarchs along with...
I. ...The Corona Latina, the 'cross straps' are the interlocking gold strips forming the 'dome' atop the crown; these were added in the 12th century to the older Byzantine circlet, to make what we now understand as the Holy Crown of Hungary
I. Finally, the distinctive wonky cross that adorns the crown was added in the 16th century, and was knocked crooked in the 17th c. in an accident - it's suggested that the current cross replaces an older reliquary containing pieces of wood from the true cross, that has been lost
I. The Crown has had a very turbulent history, having been stolen, hidden, lost, recovered and traded a number of times - most recently it was taken to Fort Knox after WW2 to stop it from falling into the hands of the Soviet Union, and returned to Hungary in 1978
II. The IRON CROWN OF LOMBARDY, used by (surprise) Lombard and mediaeval Italian monarchs, as well as Holy Roman Emperors - it gets its name from the iron band at its centre, said to be wrought of a nail from jesus' crucifixion
II. The Crown's origins are obscure, but it dates back to some time around the 9th-11th century with the Lombard monarchy - it was later used to coronate Holy Roman Emperors-to-be as King of Italy while en route to Rome for their proper coronation as Emperor
II. It was used in approximately 34 coronations over 500 years; the first reliable coronation was Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII in 1312, later notable uses being Charles V in 1530, Napoleon in 1805, and the last being Ferdinand I of Austria as King of Lombardy-Venetia in 1838
II. In 1993 the crown was analysed at the University of Milan, leading to the discovery that the 'iron nail' is in fact silver, with different parts of the crown being dated to between 500-800AD; despite the name it is mostly gold, with 22 gemstones of different types
III. SKANDERBEG'S HELMET dates from the 15th century during the lifetime of Albanian rebel and monarch Skanderbeg; there isn't too much to say about it beyond its striking and unusual design that I really like - an inscription upon it reads 'Terror of the Ottomans'
III. The helmet has gone on a long journey, being taken to Italy by Skanderbeg's wife after his death, then resurfacing in Austrian possession in the 16th century, where it remained until 2012, when it were finally returned to Albania for the centenary of independence
IV. MONOMAKH'S CAP is the oldest surviving Russian crown, with (yet again!) a very murky history - the name derives from the 12th century Russian prince Vladimir II Monomakh, who allegedly was passed down the cap from his grandfather, the Byzantine Emperor...
IV. ...But this is likely just a legend from the 16th century justifying Russia's claim as the 'Third Rome' - its more probable origin is as a gift from the Golden Horde to their Muscovite vassals in the 14th century, which would explain its distinctively 'asiatic' appearance
IV. Whatever its origin it became a distinguished symbol of the autocracy, featuring prominently in images of the monarch and used to coronate nine tsars starting with Ivan the Terrible, before falling into disuse in favour of a more western crown under Peter the Great
V. The CROWN OF SAINT WENCESCLAS, the traditional Bohemian coronation crown, is honestly really gaudy and not my favourite aesthetically, but there's a few really cool things about it nonetheless
V. For once we know it was made in 1347 for Emperor Charles VI (birth name Wenceslaus, huh) who dedicated it to the Bohemian patron saint, Wencesclas - it has subsequently been used in over 20 coronations, last in 1836 by the same Emperor who last wore the Iron Crown
V. The cross at the top allegedly stores a thorn from Christ's cross, and is held under lock and key in Prague Cathedral, behind seven locked doors, the keys to which are held by seven different Czech officials, ranging from the President to the Archbishop of Prague
V. There is a legend around the crown that any usurper who places it on his head will die within a year - and so a rumour goes that during WW2, Nazi governor Reinhard Heydrich used his influence to briefly don the crown - only to be assassinated less than a year later
i might add on some more later if i feel like it but this was enough research for today
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