Some of the most remarkable finds include a crown that belonged to Alexander Jagiellon or Aleksandras Jogaiaitis, the king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania who lived between 1461 and 1506.
Recovered artifacts from the cache comprise a chain, a medallion, a coffin plaque, a ring, and a crown associated with Elizabeth of Austria, who lived between 1436 and 1505.
Royal treasures were hidden and recovered after WWII began in 1939.
Additional medieval royal artifacts are in the cache at the Lithuanian cathedral. Among the recovered items were possessions of Middle Ages rulers, including another crown, a scepter, an orb, and three rings, all believed to have belonged to Barbara Radziwiłł. Barbara was the wife of Žygimantas Augustas, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, who passed away in 1551.
In a statement sent to major news outlets, Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grušas said, “The discovered burial insignia of the monarchs of Lithuania and Poland are priceless historical treasures, symbols of the long tradition of Lithuanian statehood, signs of Vilnius as the capital city, and magnificent works of goldsmithing and jewelry.” He added that the findings reflect the customary practices of the period and underscore their significance for Lithuania’s statehood.
The recently discovered royal treasure was intended to be placed in the royal tomb, similar to the traditions of ancient Egyptian monarchs. Moreover, the crowns were crafted posthumously and were designed to accompany the royals in their tombs.
The unearthed royal treasure in the Cathedral is a symbol of Lithuania’s European identity
In a statement about the discovered treasure, Rita Pauliukevičiūtė, director of the Vilnius Church Heritage Museum, said, “These symbols are important both for the State and for each of us, as signs of European identity, as a reclaimed identity of the old State, as a sign of the strength of our roots.”
The recovery of these items is significant, as they had been thought lost. They were first discovered in 1931 while the cathedral was being cleaned after a flood and a crypt containing the tombs of the royals was discovered.
The items were on display until the war broke out in 1939. They were hidden until rediscovery in December 2024 in the cathedral’s crypts.
