Insignia, including burial crowns for the tombs of the Lithuanian and Polish rulers Alexander, Elizabeth, and Barbara were discovered in the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral.
“On December 16, 2024, a secret hiding place was opened in the crypts, where the royal regalia was hidden at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Insignia for the tombs of Lithuanian and Polish rulers Alexander, Elizabeth, and Barbara were found in the hiding place,” Vilnius Archbishop Metropolitan Gintaras Grušas told reporters on Monday.
According to him, the crown of Alexander Jagiellon (1461–1506), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, as well as the crown, a chain, a medallion, a ring, and a coffin plaque of Elizabeth of Austria (1436–1505), wife of Casimir IV Jagiellon (1427–1492), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, were found.
The crown, sceptre, apple of power, three rings, chain, and two coffin tablets of Barbara Radziwiłł (Barbora Radvilaitė)(1520/1523–1551), wife of Sigismund II Augustus (1520–1572), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, were also found.
“These crowns were not worn while the rulers were alive but were made after their deaths and were intended to be part of their tombs,” Grušas said.
According to him, the treasures will be examined, restored, and presented to the public in the future.
“The discovered insignia are priceless historical treasures, symbols of Lithuania’s long tradition of statehood, symbols of Vilnius as the capital city, and magnificent works of goldsmithing and jewellery,” Grušas said.
According to Mykolas Juozapavičius, the economist of the Vilnius Archdiocese, the hiding place where the relics were found was discovered in 1985.
“After Lithuania regained its independence, several attempts have been made to carry out various searches. [...] The main focus has always been on the search for the burial site of Vytautas the Great, but these searches have not yet been successful,” said Juozapavičius.
Last October it was decided to use specialists from the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum to carry out an endoscopic camera survey of the hiding place.
“The survey was based on inter-war and current drawings of the dungeons, as well as a recorded eyewitness account. After several attempts, the hiding place was discovered and it was decided to remove, catalogue, and relocate the valuables to a safe place,” Juozapavičius explained.
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