SCALA / ART RESOURCE, NY
One of the holiest relics of the Catholic Church, the Crux Vaticana is the oldest known reliquary of the true cross, which Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, claimed to have discovered in Jerusalem in the fourth century. It was gifted to the people of Rome by Emperor Justin II and Empress Sophia in the late sixth century and has been used as a processional cross during Christmas and Easter services in Rome for more than a millennium. The cross has been restored several times, most recently in 2009. This photo, which predates the last restoration, shows the accumulated wear and tarnish from repeated handling and use.
The silver-gilt cross stands nearly 16 inches tall and is about 12 inches wide, not including the stand, which was a later addition. The fragment of the true cross is displayed in a medallion in the center of the cross’s face. On the four arms of the cross is a Latin inscription reading, “With the wood with which Christ conquered man’s enemy, Justin gives his help to Rome and his wife offers the ornamentation.” The back of the cross, not visible in the photo, is decorated with images of Jesus, as well as of Justin and Sophia.
One of the holiest relics of the Catholic Church, the Crux Vaticana is the oldest known reliquary of the true cross, which Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, claimed to have discovered in Jerusalem in the fourth century. It was gifted to the people of Rome by Emperor Justin II and Empress Sophia in the late sixth century and has been used as a processional cross during Christmas and Easter services in Rome for more than a millennium. The cross has been restored several times, most recently in 2009. This photo, which predates the last restoration, shows the accumulated wear and tarnish […]
