Papal Tiara

The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, in Latin as the 'Triregnum', or in Italian as the 'Triregno',{{ref|Triregno}} is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown of Byzantine and Persian origin that is the symbol of the papacy. Papal Tiaras were worn by all popes from Pope Clement V to Pope Paul VI, who was crowned in 1963. Pope Paul VI abandoned the use of his own tiara after the Second Vatican Council, symbolically laying it on the altar of St. Peter's Basilica, and donating its value to the poor. However, he did not abolish its use, explicitly requiring in his 1975 Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo that his successor be crowned.

Not just one tiara

Article: List of papal tiaras in existence

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Though people often talk about the Papal Tiara, in fact there were many. Unfortunately many of the earlier priceless papal tiaras (most notably the tiaras of Pope Julius II{{ref|JuliusII}} and that attributed to Pope Saint Silvester) were destroyed, dismantled or seized by invaders (most notably by Berthier's army in 1798), or by popes themselves; Pope Clement VII had all the tiaras and papal regalia melted down in 1527 to raise the 400,000 ducats ransom demanded by the occupying army of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Over twenty silver triregnos exist, of which the earliest, the sole survivor of 1798, was made for Pope Gregory XIII in the sixteenth century. Because Rome was in the hands of the French, Pius VII was crowned in exile, in Venice, with a papier-mâché tiara, for which ladies of Venice gave up their jewels.

Related Topics:
Pope Julius II - Pope Saint Silvester - Berthier's - 1798 - Pope Clement VII - 1527 - Holy Roman Emperor - Charles V - Pope Gregory XIII - Pius VII - Venice - Papier-mâché

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Many tiaras were donated to the papacy by world leaders or states, including Queen Isabella II of Spain, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Napoleon I of France. The tiara provided by the latter was made from elements of former papal tiaras destroyed after the capture of Rome, and was given to Pius VII as a 'wedding gift' to mark Napoleon's own marriage to Empress Josephine on the eve of his imperial coronation. Others were provided to a newly elected pope by the See which they had held prior to their election, or to commemorate their jubilees, whether of their ordination, episcopal appointment or length of reign.

Related Topics:
Isabella II of Spain - Wilhelm I of Germany - Franz Joseph I of Austria - Napoleon I of France - Empress Josephine - Ordination - Episcopal appointment - Reign

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In some instances, various cities sought to outdo each other in the beauty, value and size of the tiaras they provided for "their" pope. Examples include triregni given to Popes John XXIII and Paul VI, the former by John's home region, the latter by Paul's previous See of Milan on their election to the papacy.

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Nor was a pope restricted to wearing just one tiara: Pope John XXIII, for example, was photographed on different occasions wearing his own tiara presented in 1959, Pope Pius IX's 1877 tiara, or Pope Pius XI's 1922 tiara.

Related Topics:
1959 - Pope Pius IX's - 1877 - 1922

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Pope Paul VI, whose bullet-shaped tiara is one of the most unusual in design, was the latest pope to wear a triple tiara; although any of his successors could reinstate the coronation ceremony or wear one of the tiaras. Most surviving tiaras are on display in the Vatican, though some were sold off or donated to Catholic bodies. In recent times some of the more popular or historic tiaras, such as the 1871 Belgian tiara, the 1877 tiara and the 1903 golden tiara have been sent around the world as part of a display of historic Vatican items.Pope Paul VI's "Milan tiara" was donated to and is on display in the crypt church of the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Related Topics:
1871 - 1903

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