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The Coronation Cross of Bohemia ( cz, Korunovační kříž Čech) or the Gold Reliquary Cross (''Zlatý kříž relikviáře'') is the most precious object of the Treasury of the St Vitus Cathedral in Prague. It is usually exhibited together with the Bohemian Coronation Jewels and is sometimes considered to be part of them. It is a gold reliquary in shape of a cross, which was created to contain the most valuable
The Coronation Cross of Bohemia ( cz, Korunovační kříž Čech) or the Gold Reliquary Cross (''Zlatý kříž relikviáře'') is the most precious object of the Treasury of the St Vitus Cathedral in Prague. It is usually exhibited together with the Bohemian Coronation Jewels and is sometimes considered to be part of them. It is a gold reliquary in shape of a cross, which was created to contain the most valuable relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...
of the Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
. The cross was made by order of Charles IV, probably around 1354. The Reliquary Cross was not originally part of the St Vitus Treasury, but belonged to the Treasury of Karlštejn
Karlštejn Castle ( cs, hrad Karlštejn; german: Burg Karlstein) is a large Gothic castle founded in 1348 by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor-elect and King of Bohemia. The castle served as a place for safekeeping the Imperial Regalia as well as ...
Castle. Since 1645 it has been permanently in Prague and became part of the St. Vitus Treasury. The cross was used during the coronations of Bohemian kings in St Vitus Cathedral, although it was not originally made for this purpose.
Description
The cross was made of gold plates by court goldsmiths. The entire front is covered with arock crystal
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
plate that allows one to see the relics of the Crucifixion of Christ: wood from the Holy Cross, thorns, a part of the sponge, rope, and a nail. The sides of the cross are lined with sapphires that are set in such a way so that light could penetrate them, thus creating a halo. The back of the cross is adorned with engraved gem
An engraved gem, frequently referred to as an intaglio, is a small and usually semi-precious gemstone that has been carved, in the Western tradition normally with images or inscriptions only on one face. The engraving of gemstones was a major lux ...
cameos with beautiful relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
s that date from antiquity to the 12th century and cover small compartments for other precious relics. In the middle of the back of the cross, there is a small rock crystal window with another part of the wood from Christ's cross.{{cite web, title=Coronation cross, url=http://www.korunovacni-klenoty.cz/en/texts/coronation-cross.html, website=www.korunovacni-klenoty.cz, publisher=České korunovační klenoty, accessdate=28 November 2015
References