Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-12-03
The Iron Crown of Lombardy.

Describing visit to Monza, Octavia
Hensel says. in the San Francisco
Chronicle: We found the Cathedral at
this royal Summer palace city perfect
museum of antiquity. In the sacristy
most fascinating young priest show
ed us Queen Theodolinda's fan, OF
brown silk and carved wood, made to
close up like the pretty circular pocket
comb, of ivory, set with precious
stones, and necklace of emeralds.
rubies and diamonds, to match her
crown of the same precious gems, in
crusted in a band of gold, were mag
niticent, but most unartistic. Her sig
net ring Of sapphire. upon which was
carved her coat of arms-a hen and
tiny chickens picking up grain-and a
goblet of sapphire were marvels of art
Innumerable church treasures were al
so displayed, and then we were taken
to the white marble chapel in the
crypt where the iron crown of Lom-
hardy is kept.
The ceremony of showing this
strange and beautiful historical relic is
most impressive. Preceded by two
acolytes swinging burning censers,
two priests in alb and store enter the
chancel. After incensing the altar the
great brass doors of the repository are
unlocked and priest mounts up
small ladder and takes out the crown,
hung in gold and gemmed pyx. be-
tween plates OF purest crystal. This
he places on the altar, and after q
number of genuflections and burning
of incense, visitors are admitted one
by one to the altar to look upon that
quaint old jointed crown. whose small
golden plates are incrusted with pre-
cious stones, but the real treas
ure of the crown is the small
iron circlet within this golden band,
roughly wrought out of iron nails. the
nails OF the cross found by Empress
Helena.
The outer crown has six plates, or
links, to suit the different sized heads
of sovereigns who have been crowned
with it, while the iron circlet has small
holes, into which a rivet can be placed
TO make its size correspond with the
outer crown of gold. Napoleon crown
ed himself with this diadem. When
the pope was about to place it on his
head that most consummate of self
sufficient individuals. the little Corsi-
can, declared as he had won the crown
there was no one greater than himself
to crown himself, took it and placed it
on his head.
This church, built by Queen Theodo-
linda and dedicated to St. John the
Baptist in the fourth century, was de-
Gt hy ha -.
l200. In 1852 1t was restored, and the
history OF its foundation, represented
by paintings, WAS added century
later. The carvings on the pulpit
represent the GROWING of Beraugerius
in the ninth century. Medailions of
all the Emperors, from the time of
Constantine, crowned in this church,
surround the trlforium OF the nave,
and in the chapel beside the baptistry
is an exquisite picture of the Virgin
and st. Elizabeth, picture full of
rosy flesh tints and chill country"
landscape almost modern in tone and
treatment. This evening. in order to
''do' the patriclan, rs we had "done"
the plebeian during the day, we
took carriage for drive around
VIC uastiohe' superb proau space,
built on the old city walls, bordered
with magnificent horse-chestnut trees
in double rows and pubic gardens,
squares and handsome buildings. We
gained admittance 10 the arena built
by Napoleon !. to contain 80, 900 spec
tators. 1t is used for races or some
times flooded with water Tor rowing
matches and boat racing