List of papal tiaras in existence
Encyclopedia
The Papal Tiara
is the crown
of the papacy. For over one millennium
all popes were crowned with a tiara in a Papal Coronation
. The tiara is one of the key symbols of the papacy, and features on the Vatican
coat of arms
. Pope Benedict XVI
has replaced the tiara on his official coat of arms with a traditional bishop's mitre and the pallium, symbols of the Pontiff's authority as Bishop of Rome.
Though people talk of the tiara, there are in fact over twenty surviving tiaras in existence. The earliest dates from the sixteenth century, the latest from 2011. Eleven of them are held in the Vatican
and two are permanently on display in the United States
at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
and at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Indiana
at the University of Notre Dame
.
The most recent papal tiara was donated to Pope John Paul II
by Hungary in 1981.
Note: Because the donation of tiaras was often a private matter not announced by the person making the donation, it is unknown whether any subsequent papal tiaras have been donated. The existence of the Hungarian Tiara, though long rumoured, was only confirmed when images of it were shown in the media.
Though Pope Paul VI decided not to wear his tiara again in a gesture of humility and put it up for sale with the proceeds to be given to the poor. The bishops of the United States bought it and put it on public display together with a gold lace papal stole of Blessed John XXIII at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. Paul VI's 1975 Apostolic Constitution
, Romano Pontifici Eligendo
required that his successor be crowned. However Pope John Paul I
decided not to follow the requirement and instead underwent a Papal Inauguration
. Pope John Paul II
's 1996 Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis
left it up to each future pope to decide whether to be crowned or inaugurated.
Papal Tiara
The Papal Tiara, also known incorrectly as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, in Italian as the Triregno and as the Trirègne in French, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a prominent symbol of the papacy...
is the crown
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
of the papacy. For over one millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
all popes were crowned with a tiara in a Papal Coronation
Papal Coronation
A papal coronation was the ceremony of the placing of the Papal Tiara on a newly elected pope. The first recorded papal coronation was that of Pope Celestine II in 1143. Soon after his coronation in 1963, Pope Paul VI abandoned the practice of wearing the tiara. His successors have chosen not to...
. The tiara is one of the key symbols of the papacy, and features on the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
has replaced the tiara on his official coat of arms with a traditional bishop's mitre and the pallium, symbols of the Pontiff's authority as Bishop of Rome.
Though people talk of the tiara, there are in fact over twenty surviving tiaras in existence. The earliest dates from the sixteenth century, the latest from 2011. Eleven of them are held in the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
and two are permanently on display in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Indiana
Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Indiana
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana, is a Catholic Church on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, also serving as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States. The neo-gothic church features 44 large stained glass windows and murals completed...
at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
.
The most recent papal tiara was donated to Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
by Hungary in 1981.
List of some of the papal tiaras still in existence
- Tiara of Pope Gregory XIIITiara of Pope Gregory XIIIThe Tiara of Pope Gregory XIII is the oldest surviving papal tiara in existence. Its actual date of manufacture is not recorded. It is known however that it was manufactured during the reign of Pope Gregory XIII , the creator of the Gregorian calendar.Until 1798 many ancient tiaras existed in the...
(1572-1585). The oldest surviving papal tiara in existence. - Papier-mâché TiaraPapier-mâché TiaraThe papier-mâché tiara is a papal tiara that was made in exile for Pope Pius VII's papal coronation in a church in Venice. In 1798, Pope Pius's predecessor Pope Pius VI had been forced into exile when French troops invaded the Vatican and stole or destroyed all the ancient papal tiaras owned by the...
of Pope Pius VIIPope Pius VIIPope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
. Made for his exiled coronation in VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1800. - Tiara of Pope Pius VIINapoleon TiaraThe Napoleon Tiara was a papal tiara given to Pope Pius VII by Emperor Napoleon I in 1805 following the pope's coronation of Napoleon as Emperor of the French....
(1804). The "Napoleon Tiara" from Napoleon INapoleon INapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, marking his wedding to JosephineJoséphine de BeauharnaisJoséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, and thus the first Empress of the French. Her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais had been guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she had been imprisoned in the Carmes prison until her release five days after Alexandre's...
; by Henry August and Marie-Etienne NitotMarie-Etienne NitotMarie-Etienne Nitot was a French jeweller and founder of the House of Chaumet. The official jeweller to Napoleon, he designed the Napoleon Tiara and the Imperial Sword.From the French article on the chaumet company which he founded:...
, House of ChaumetChaumetThe House of Chaumet , founded in 1780, is a high end jeweler based in Paris. -Contemporary period : Bankruptcy, Investcorp, LVMH :...
, Paris. Some of the jewels and decoration for this tiara came from earlier tiaras smashed and stolen by the troops of the French DirectoryFrench DirectoryThe Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
in 1798. The tiara was made deliberately too small, and at 18 poundPound (mass)The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s (8 kgKilogramThe kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
) too heavy, for the pope to wear. - Tiara of Pope Pius VIITiara of Pope Pius VIIThe Tiara of Pope Pius VII was the first tiara manufactured to replace the papal tiaras stolen and smashed on Napoleon's orders. It was given to Pope Pius VII in 1820. Though of traditional papal tiara design it is made of gold and silver cloth, the jewels being represented by colored silk...
(1820) (image) - Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (1834)Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (1834)The 1834 Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI was a papal tiara given to Pope Gregory XVI. It was the first of three tiaras received or commissioned by Pope Gregory during his reign....
. One of the most worn in the papal collection. - Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (1845).
- Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI (date unknown). Lightweight version of a tiara.
- Tiara of Pope Pius IXPope Pius IXBlessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
(1846). Coronation tiara. - Tiara of Pope Pius IXSpanish TiaraThe Spanish tiara was a papal tiara given to Pope Pius IX by Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1854.Though of similar overall shape to the usual tiara, the Spanish tiara was different in that its decoration was primarily of jewels, rather than of gold inset with jewels...
(1855). The "Spanish Tiara" from Queen Isabella II of SpainIsabella II of SpainIsabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
. (image) - Tiara of Pope Pius IX (late 1850s) from the Congregation of Holy CrossCongregation of Holy CrossThe Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
. On permanent display in the Basilica of the Sacred HeartBasilica of the Sacred Heart, IndianaThe Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana, is a Catholic Church on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, also serving as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States. The neo-gothic church features 44 large stained glass windows and murals completed...
at the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. - Tiara of Pope Pius IXBelgian TiaraThe Belgian Tiara is one of the most unusual Papal Tiaras in existence, largely due to its design.The Tiara was donated by the Ladies of the Royal Court of the King of the Belgians on June 18, 1871 to Pope Pius IX...
(1871). The "Belgian Tiara" from the women of the Royal Court of the King of the BelgiansLeopold II of BelgiumLeopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
by Jean Baptiste Bethume of Ghent. (image opposite.) - Tiara of Pope Pius IX (1870s). Lightweight tiara.
- Tiara of Pope Pius IXPalatine TiaraThe Palatine Tiara is the most widely used Papal Tiara in the possession of the Vatican. It was donated to Pope Pius IX in 1877 by the Holy See's Palatine Guard to commemorate his jubilee as a bishop...
(1877). The "Palatine Tiara" from the Holy See's Palatine GuardPalatine GuardThe Palatine Guard was a military unit of the Vatican. It was formed in 1850 by Pope Pius IX, who ordered that the two militia units of the Papal States be amalgamated...
in honour of Pope Pius's jubilee. It was used at virtually every papal coronation since then. - Tiara of Pope Leo XIIIGerman TiaraThe German Tiara was donated to Pope Leo XIII by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany in 1887, officially to commemorate the golden jubilee of Leo's ordination as a priest...
(1887). The "German Tiara" from Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany in commemoration of the Pope's Golden JubileeGolden JubileeA Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
as a priest. - Tiara of Pope Leo XIIIParis TiaraThe Paris Tiara is a papal tiara given to Pope Leo XIII by the people of Paris in 1888 to commemorate his Golden Jubilee as a priest.It was designed and manufactured by Émile Froment-Meurice....
(1888). The "Paris Tiara" from the Catholics of Paris to celebrate the Pope's Golden Jubilee. By François-Désiré Froment-MeuriceFrançois-Désiré Froment-MeuriceFrançois-Désiré Froment-Meurice was a French goldsmith, working in a free and naturalistic manner in the tradition of Mannerist and Baroque masters...
. (image) - Tiara of Pope Leo XIIIAustrian TiaraThe Austrian Tiara was a papal tiara given to Pope Leo XIII by the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, Franz Josef I in 1894.Records suggest that it was rarely worn....
(1894). The "Austrian Tiara" from Kaiser Franz Joseph I of AustriaFranz Joseph I of AustriaFranz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
. - Tiara of Pope Leo XIIIGolden TiaraThe Golden Tiara was a gold and silver papal tiara given to Pope Leo XIII in 1903.The tiara was given by the Vicar-General of Rome on behalf of the world's Catholics to commemorate the Pope's Silver Jubilee as pope. It was the fourth papal tiara given to Pope Leo during his twenty-five year...
(1903). The "Golden Tiara" given by the Vicar-General of Rome on behalf of the world's Catholics to commemorate the Pope's Silver JubileeSilver JubileeA Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
as pope. (image) - Tiara of Pope Pius XTiara of Pope Pius XThe Tiara of Pope Pius X was a papal tiara manufactured for Pope Pius X by the papal jewellers, Tatani, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Pius's ordination as a Catholic priest....
(1908). By papal jewellers Tatani to commemorate the Pope's golden jubilee of his ordination as a priest. Made because the pope found other tiaras too heavy. - Tiara of Pope Pius XIPope Pius XIPope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
(1922) donated by the people of DesioDesioDesio is a town and comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza, Italy.-History:In 1277 it was the location of the battle between the Visconti and della Torre families for the rule of Milan. It is also known as the birthplace of Pope Pius XI and the Arsenal goalkeeper, Vito Mannone...
, where he was born (near MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
). - Tiara of Pope Pius XI (1922). From the Archdiocese of Milan.
- Tiara of Pope John XXIIIPope John XXIII-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
(1959). From the people of BergamoBergamoBergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, his home region, in honour of his election as pope. (image) - Tiara of Pope Paul VITiara of Pope Paul VIThe Tiara of Pope Paul VI was the last papal tiara worn to date. It was donated by the see of Milan when its cardinal, Giovanni Montini, was elected Pope Paul VI in the 1963 papal conclave. It was this tiara that was used to crown Pope Paul VI in 1963, which was the last papal coronation to date...
(1963). Made by the artisans of his former archdiocese, Milan. On permanent display in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate ConceptionBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate ConceptionThe Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
. (image) - Tiara of Pope John Paul IITiara of Pope John Paul IIThe Tiara of Pope John Paul II, known also as the Hungarian Tiara, was the most recent known Papal tiara extant, until a new tiara was presented to Pope Benedict XVI on 25th May 2011 . It was donated to Pope John Paul II in 1981...
(Hungarian Tiara) (1981). Presented to Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
by Catholics in the then Communist state of HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. As neither John Paul II nor his successor, Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVIBenedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, has worn any papal tiara, this tiara remains unworn. (image) - Tiara of Benedict XVITiara of Benedict XVITiara of Benedict XVI is the Papal tiara presented to Pope Benedict XVI during the General Audience of May 25, 2011 by the group of German Catholics....
(2011). Presented to Benedict XVI on 25th May 2011 by a group of Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians
Note: Because the donation of tiaras was often a private matter not announced by the person making the donation, it is unknown whether any subsequent papal tiaras have been donated. The existence of the Hungarian Tiara, though long rumoured, was only confirmed when images of it were shown in the media.
Though Pope Paul VI decided not to wear his tiara again in a gesture of humility and put it up for sale with the proceeds to be given to the poor. The bishops of the United States bought it and put it on public display together with a gold lace papal stole of Blessed John XXIII at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. Paul VI's 1975 Apostolic Constitution
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
, Romano Pontifici Eligendo
Romano Pontifici Eligendo
Romano Pontifici Eligendo was the Apostolic Constitution governing the election of popes that was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1975. It instituted a number of far-reaching reforms in the process of electing popes.- Ban on cardinals over eighty voting :...
required that his successor be crowned. However Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
decided not to follow the requirement and instead underwent a Papal Inauguration
Papal Inauguration
The Papal Inauguration is a liturgical service of the Catholic Church within Mass celebrated in the Roman Rite but with elements of Byzantine Rite for the ecclesiastical investiture of the Pope...
. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's 1996 Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis
Universi Dominici Gregis
Universi Dominici Gregis is an Apostolic Constitution of the Catholic Church issued by Pope John Paul II on February 22, 1996. It superseded Pope Paul VI's 1975 Apostolic Constitution, Romano Pontifici Eligendo....
left it up to each future pope to decide whether to be crowned or inaugurated.