TREASURE OF ST. GALGANO RECOVERED AFTER 30-YEAR SEARCH
Another coup for the Comando dei Carabiniere Tutela Patrimonio Culturale (Protection of Cultural Heritage ), Italy's crack corp of culture police, whose exclusive job is to safeguard Italy's antiquities and works of art.
Combing through files in their data bank, inspectors were able to hunt down a collection of treasures stolen in 1989 from the Museum of the Archdiocese of Siena in Montalcino, consisting of a group of eleven precious liturgical objects belonging to several Umbrian churches, including silver, gilded and enamelled chalices and pyxes, a jewelled crucifix and the most precious object of all – the celebrated relinquary of Saint Galgano, the saint connected with the sword in the stone in the abandoned 13th century Cistercian Abbey that carries his name.
The mysterious sword, allegedly planted by the saint in the rock that is preserved in the domed Hermitage beside the Abbey, attracts many visitors due to its apparent similarity with the legends of the Knights of the Round Table.
Saint Galgano was a 12th century warrior knight from Chiusdino who became a hermit monk after a series of visions. He was much venerated throughout the Middle Ages. The relinquary is considered a masterpiece of Sienese goldsmith's art. It was damaged during its years in the clandestine antiquities market and has undergone a two-year painstaking reparation by restorers of the Vatican Museums Metals and Ceramics laboratories.
The treasure will be on show in Room XVII of the Vatican Pinacoteca until the 18th |February 2023, under the exhibition title: “From the Sword to the Cross, the Restored Relinquary of Saint Galgano.”
There is, however, still one item missing from the stolen cache. It is a 16th century silver chalice from the Church of the Certosa of Maggiano in Siena. The hunt is still on!
M. STENHOUSE
