THE VATICAN RESTORES 6th CENTURY CRUX VATICANA GOLDEN CROSS

ONE OF THE GEMS OF THE VATICAN'S PRICELESS RELIGIOUS ART COLLECTION, A 6th CENTURY RELIQUARY CONTAINING WHAT IS REVERED AS FRAGMENTS OF THE CROSS ON WHICH CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED, HAS BEEN RESTORED TO ITS BYZANTINE-ERA GLORY. THE VATICAN RECENTLY UNVEILED THE RESTORED CRUX VATICANA, A FOOT-HIGH JEWEL-ENCRUSTED GOLDEN CROSS. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WAS GIVEN AN EARLY LOOK AT THE STUNNING PIECE, AND BYZANTINE ART EXPERTS SAID THE RESTORATION RENDERED THE CROSS MUCH CLOSER TO WHAT IT WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE AT THE TIME THE BYZANTINE EMPEROR JUSTIN II GAVE TO THE PEOPLE OF ROME. MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, THE RESTORATION CORRECTED A BOTCHED 19th CENTURY RESTORATION THAT THREATENED TO CORRODE THE PIECE. AND IT REPLACED THE BRIGHTLY COLOURED GEMS THAT WERE ADDED IN PREVIOUS CENTURIES WITH THE LARGE, IMPERFECT PEARLS THAT ARE EMBLEMATIC OF BYZANTINE-ERA IMPERIAL MASTERPIECES. A CIRCLE OF 12 PEARLS NOW SURROUNDS THE RELIC, AND PEARLS AROUND THE CROSS' EDGE NOW ALTERNATE WITH EMERALDS AND SAPPHIRES, THE TWO OTHER GEMS MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH BYZANTINE EMPERORS.
WHILE THERE ARE PURPORTED FRAGMENTS OF CHRIST'S CROSS IN CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING PARIS' NOTRE DAME AND EVEN ACROSS TOWN AT ROME'S HOLLY CROSS BASILICA, THE CRUX VATICANA IS CONSIDERED THE OLDEST RELIQUARY OF THE CROSS. IT IS THE CROWN IN THE VATICAN'S TREASURY OF ST. PETER'S COLLECTION OF RELIGIOUS AND HISTORIC ARTIFACTS, AND IT'S A RARE EXAMPLE OF AN IMPERIAL GIFT AND AN EXPRESSION OF THE EMPEROR'S CHRISTIAN FAITH. ACROSS THE PIECE IS WRITTEN IN LATIN: 'WITH THE WOOD WITH WHICH CHRIST CONQUERED MAN'S ENEMY, JUSTIN GIVES HIS HELP TO ROME AND HIS WIFE OFFERS THE ORNAMENTATION'. FOR CENTURIES, THE CROSS WAS USED IN THE VATICAN'S MOST SOLEMN CEREMONIES AT CHRISTMAS AND EASTER. BUT 1,500 YEARS OF CANDLE WAX AND SMOKE HAS DULLED TEH GEMS AND THE CROSS' WARM GOLDEN HUE, GRIME THAT HAD BEEN REMOVED FOLLOWING A TWO-YEAR RESTORATION. THE WORK WAS PAID FOR BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR WHO DIDN'T WANT THE PRICE TAG TO BE MADE PUBLIC, VATICAN OFFICIALS SAID. THE CROSS WILL BE ON PUBLIC DISPLAY INSIDE ST. PETER'S BASILICA THROUGH 12.APRIL.