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The Cross of Desiderius is a wooden gold-plated processional cross. It is named after
The Cross of Desiderius is a wooden gold-plated processional cross. It is named after Desiderius
Desiderius, also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born – died ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy, ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne, married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. Des ...
, who is traditionally held to have given it to San Salvatore and Santa Giulia monastery in Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...
, which he and his wife Ansa had founded between 753 and 760. It is a crux gemmata
A ''crux gemmata'' (Latin for jewelled cross) is a form of cross typical of Early Christian and Early Medieval art, where the cross, or at least its front side, is principally decorated with jewels. In an actual cross, rather than a painted ima ...
covered with 211 gemstones, including around 50 ancient gems.
External links
*http://www.turismobrescia.it/en/punto-d-interesse/desiderius-cross {{middleages-stub 8th-century sculptures Crux gemmata