[Oct. 2024] A couple of friends who live in France came to visit us in Northern Italy, so we went to a few famous places that we could go on a day trip to.
One of them was Monza, about 10 minutes by train from our house.
It was a familiar place where we used to live half the time (we went back and forth to London), and I still go there at least twice a week.
Who would have thought that such a wonderful treasure was hidden there?
Well, I don’t think they’re trying to hide it, though.
I knew that the exterior of the Duomo (cathedral) was wonderful, of course, but I think I’d only been inside once.
This time, we bought a ticket (€9 per person) and joined the English tour that started at 2:30 pm that day.
What we were going to see was the “Theodolinda Chapel,” which is usually closed, and the treasure was the “Iron Crown (Corona Ferrea).”
This chapel is filled with frescoes depicting Theodolinda’s life, which is quite eye-catching.
First, we started with an explanation of Theodolinda, a woman who lived from the end of the 6th century to the beginning of the 7th century.
She was the daughter of a Bavarian nobleman and became queen of the Lombard Kingdom.
After her first husband died, she remarried to the next king.
Not just a queen, she was the person who continued to rule the Lombard Kingdom regardless of her first and second marriages.
She also chose her own second husband and devoted herself to the stability and prosperity of the country.
She was also the one who built the base of the Duomo of Monza.
As for the Iron Crown, it is said that it was made by stretching out the nails used when Christ was crucified.
This is also said to have been made by Theodolinda.
After a series of explanations, the crown in a bulletproof glass box was reverently brought out.
It was a small but lavishly decorated.
The visitors exclaimed in delight.
This crown was considered a symbol of faith and power, and was used by generations of Lombard kings for coronation.
It was also used by famous people such as Charlemagne of the Western Roman Empire (774), Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire (1158), and Napoleon (1805).
Napoleon is said to have said, “God gave me this crown. Beware whoever touches it.”
The crown was certainly wonderful, but I was more impressed to have found a place related to a wonderful historical woman so close to me.
Unfortunately, photography was prohibited in the Theodolinda Chapel.
So I don’t have any photos of the crown.
There didn’t seem to be any photo restrictions on the main hall of the cathedral, so I took a few photos of the chapel from a distance within the visible range (title photo).
There were many frescoes in other parts of the cathedral, too, and the rose window was beautiful.
Monza is often only talked about as a venue for F1 races, but I hope people know that it has such a glorious history.
