The history of the Order of the Golden Spur
Formerly known as: Order of the Golden Militia
Awarded by: The Pope
Inscriptions: the year MDCCCCV (in Roman numerals) and phrase Pius X Restituit.
Value: Priceless
The mystery of the Order of the Golden Spur
Some historians believe that the Order of the Golden Spur was established during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Others suggest that brother of the King Louis IX of France Charles I of Anjou offered to reward the nobles with the honorary order for their loyalty.
The majority of researchers concluded that thanks to the efforts of Pope Pius IV the award gained an official status in 1539.
Nowadays, the order is considered to be the second highest award in Vatican.
How does the Order of the Holy See look like?
Initially, the head of the Vatican presented the golden cross, covered in white enamel. Honorable award winners were entitled to wear the order on the chain. Later on, the form of the award has changed: masters handcrafted the Maltese cross and a medallion. The image of St. Sylvester was displayed on it. At the bottom, between the rays, a Golden spur was placed. The third evolution of the order took place in the year 1905. Now it represents the Maltese cross with a medallion, the surface of which is monogrammed with the letter M and the image of a crown is added. The Golden spur was put gracefully in-between rays.
Knights of the Golden Spur
It is impossible to determine the true value of the order. It was awarded only in exceptional cases, therefore, the papal award is truly priceless. It was given to musicians, artists, scientists. The order was awarded to an Italian sculptor of the Florentine School Baccio Bandinelli, painter and architect Giorgio Vasari, representative of the Venetian school of Renaissance Tiziano Vecellio and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The honorary award was presented by the head of the Vatican to well-known political figures as well. The order was given to the King of Greece Paul I, the first German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and many others.
Those who received the honorary recognition of the Holy See became hereditary noblemen. One hundred Knights throughout the world received the Order of the Golden Spur.
As of today, the order is no longer awarded. The only alive Knight of the order, owner of the highly valuable and rare award, is a representative of the house of Bourbon-Parma the current Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
In various cultures, gold is associated with success and achievement. For centuries, it has been used to create decorations, the most valuable awards and various symbols of power. Gold items have great historical value, they can be stored for centuries and retain their original appearance. This is an important aspect, especially for awards that should remind of the merits of their owners over a long period of time.
Do you want to learn about other medieval gold artifacts? Read the article The golden bulla: history, culture, medieval laws.
