A STUNNING Royal crown is amongst a stash of medieval treasure discovered in a secret underground chamber where it was hidden from the Nazis.
Historians have been hunting for the collection of royal riches for decades after being hidden from fascist looting, and it was finally found last month behind a loose stone using long, flexible cameras.
Aistė Karpytė / Vilnius ArchdioceseThe funeral crown of Alexander Jagiellon, once King of Poland, was one of the most significant finds[/caption]
Aistė Karpytė / Vilnius ArchdioceseFlexible cameras discovered a loose brick and an opening large enough to fit a hand through[/caption]
The Nazis systematically looted riches and art work of cultural value from European countriesGetty
The incredible discovery was made beneath the main Catholic cathedral in Lithuania and includes artefacts from monarchs of Lithuania and Poland who lived over 500 years ago.
Vidmantas Bezaras, Director of Lithuania’s Department of Cultural Heritage (KPD), called the discovery “one of the greatest in the history of today’s heritage protection.”
He added: “What generations of historians and heritage enthusiasts have dreamed of has now come true.”
One of the prize pieces is the funeral crown of Alexander Jagiellon who was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1492 and King of Poland from 1501.
The hoard contained 59 pieces including sceptres, royal orbs, chains, medallions, rings and more crowns – all expertly fashioned to the highest standard of the time.
Gintaras Grušas, Archbishop of Lithuanian capital Vilnius, said: “The discovered burial regalia of Lithuanian and Polish rulers are invaluable historical treasures, symbols of Lithuania’s long tradition of statehood, markers of Vilnius as its capital, and magnificent works of goldsmithing and jewelry.”
He explained that the artefacts were not used by the rulers during their lifetime, but rather crafted specifically to be buried alongside them.
The crypt of the monarchs was first discovered in 1931 during repairs to the cathedral in the wake of a devastating flood.
In 1939, the clergy sealed the riches in secret chambers to protect them from looting by the rampaging Nazi forces.
Vydas Dolinskas, director of the museum of the Grand Dukes, said: “Both the liturgical vessels and the royal insignia have been found wrapped in the newspapers dated 7 September 1939, which means that both parts of the treasury were hidden virtually at the same time, during the first days of war.”
After the war, the cathedral was turned into a picture gallery by the Soviet Russians.
On November 4 last year, an inspection revealed evidence of possible hiding places in the nooks and crannies of the cathedral walls, but it wasn’t until December 16 that a breakthrough occurred.
During an inspection using long, thin cameras, a loose brick was found in the passage between the Middle Crypt and the Chapter Crypt.
Upon removal, it revealed a gap large enough for a hand to reach inside, exposing a hidden chamber filled with treasures.
Aistė Karpytė / Vilnius ArchdioceseThis royal sceptre was found amongst the treasure[/caption]
An orb and decorative cross unearthed in the cryptAistė Karpytė / Vilnius Archdiocese
Alamythe Cathedral in Katedros aikste square, Vilnius, Lithuania[/caption]
For security reasons, the valuables were carefully removed the same day, documented, and transported to a secure location.
There was some controversy around the search concerning the involvement of an art historian convicted of purchasing looted items through “black archaeology”.
Saulius Poderis claimed to have identified the hidden chamber in August 2024, and ethical concerns were raised about acting on his information.
Despite objections, the KPD pushed ahead with a formal investigation and uncovered the goods.
The Royal mementos will be restored and polished up ready to go on display in upcoming public exhibitions.
Riches belonging to Elizabeth of Austria, Queen Consort of Poland and Grand Duchess Consort of Lithuania were found, along with those of Barbara Radziwill, Queen Consort of Poland and Grand Duchess Consort of Lithuania.
Aistė Karpytė / Vilnius ArchdioceseA golden chain found as part of the hoard[/caption]
Aistė Karpytė / Vilnius ArchdioceseThere were multiple coffin plaques found in the secret chamber[/caption]
Aistė Karpytė / Vilnius ArchdioceseThe finds were exhibited at a press conference earlier this month[/caption]
Nazi Looting
NAZI plunder was the organised stealing of art and valuables by the fascist party as it swept through European countries.
Jewish property began to be looted in 1933, and the practice continued in other nations occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War.
Items of high value, particularly gold and silver, were stolen along with works of cultural significance – such as paintings, sculptures, books and ceramics.
Some of the looted valuables were recovered and returned after the war by the Allies’ Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives programme (MFAA).
However, many items are still missing or were returned to their country of origin but not the proper owner.
Some of the most famous looted items include:
Portrait of a Young Man: This painting by Raphael was looted by the Germans from the Czartoryski Museum, Poland, in 1939. It is still missing.
The Just Judges: The lower left panel of the Ghent Altarpiece, painted by Jan or Hubert van Eyck around 1430–32.
Madonna and Child: A monument by Michelangelo looted from the Church of Notre Dame in 1944.
Claude Monet’s Bord de Mer: A pastel looted from a Jewish couple in World War II and returned to the family’s descendants in 2024.
The Ghent Altarpiece: Considered by some to be the most stolen piece of art in history, the Nazis stole this work by Hubert and Jan van Eyck during World War II.
The Nazis also confiscated 16,000 paintings from German public institutions they considered to be “degenerate”.
