Category Archives: Royal Churches

Palace Chapel at Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Palace Chapel at Ludwigsburg Palace; Credit – Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. It is now part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The Palace Chapel (Schlosskapelle in German) at Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany was the place of worship and the traditional burial site of the Württemberg family since it was built in the early 1700s. The first King of Württemberg, Friedrich I, was the last ruler buried in the Palace Chapel at Ludwigsburg Palace. His son and successor, the childless King Karl I is buried in the Schlosskirche at the Old Castle (Altes Schloss) in Stuttgart. Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, King Friedrich I’s grandson, is buried in the Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace.

Ludwigsburg Palace; Credit – By Maulaff – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149007837

Ludwigsburg Palace was expanded from a small hunting lodge to a monumental four-wing palace with 452 rooms between 1704 and 1816. The construction of Ludwigsburg Palace began during the reign of Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg who laid the foundation in 1704. He allowed the workers to reside for free around the palace construction. Five architects worked on Ludwigsburg Palace over the years – Philipp Joseph Jenisch (link in German), Johann Friedrich Nette, Donato Giuseppe Frisoni, Philippe de La Guêpière, and Nikolaus Friedrich von Thouret. As a result of each architect’s work, Ludwigsburg Palace is a combination of Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, and Empire-style architecture.

The Courtyard of Ludwigsburg Palace; Credit – By Gregorini Demetrio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52233396

The ceiling painting “Glorification of the Holy Trinity” by Carlo Carlone; Credit – Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

Unusually opulent for a Protestant church, the Schlosskapelle (Palace Chapel) is located in the East Wing of Ludwigsburg Palace. It was designed by Italian architect Donato Giuseppe Frisoni and built from 1716 to 1724. Frisoni designed a two-story church interior that was circular instead of longitudinal. The rotunda of the chapel had three semi-domes. The chapel was painted by Donato Giuseppe Frisoni, Luca Antonio Colomba, Livio Retti, and Carlo Carlone, who were all restricted to Protestant doctrine for the subjects of their painting. The central dome is covered by an impressive ceiling painting “The Glorification of the Holy Trinity” by the painter Carlo Carlone.

The Ducal Box; Credit – Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

The Ducal Box Seat, painted with the biblical story of David by Livio Retti, was accessible to the ruling family directly from the second floor of their living quarters. The members of the court sat in the side galleries of the chapel.

Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg – Ludwigsburg Palace’s construction started during his reign; Credit – Wikipedia

The Palace Chapel changed religious denominations depending on whether the ruler was Protestant or Catholic. Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg, a Protestant, built it as a Protestant chapel. However, it became a Catholic chapel under the Catholic rulers Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg and Carl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg. King Friedrich I redecorated the Palace Chapel in 1798 as a Protestant chapel. Today, the Palace Chapel is a Catholic chapel.

Burials in the Royal Crypt in the Pastle Chapel at Ludwigsburg Palace

Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg had a crypt built for the Württemberg family under the Palace Chapel

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). ehemaliges Residenzschloss der Herzöge und Könige von Württemberg. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residenzschloss_Ludwigsburg
  • Ludwigsburg Residential Palace: Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. (n.d.). Www.schloss-Ludwigsburg.de. https://www.schloss-ludwigsburg.de/en/
  • Palace Chapel: Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. (2025). Schloss-Ludwigsburg.de. https://www.schloss-ludwigsburg.de/en/visitor-experience/palace-garden/buildings/palace-chapel
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Ludwigsburg Palace. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Brunswick Cathedral in Brunswick, Lower Saxony, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Brunswick Cathedral with the Brunswick Lion in the foreground; Credit – By Kassandro Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1770712

Originally a Roman Catholic church, Brunswick Cathedral (Braunschweiger Dom in German) is now a Lutheran church in Brunswick in the German state of Lower Saxony. The cathedral was founded in 1173 by Heinrich der Löwe (Henry the Lion – Heinrich III, Duke of Saxony from 1142  to 1180 and also Heinrich XII, Duke of Bavaria from 1156 to 1180). Heinrich built the cathedral as a burial place for himself and his second wife Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria, the eldest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their successors.

Dankwarderode Castle on the left, Brunswick Cathedral on the right; Credit – Wikipedia

Brunswick Cathedral was built between 1173 and 1195 on the Burgplatz (Castle Square) in Brunswick, adjacent to Dankwarderode Castle where Heinrich the Lion built his palace circa 1160 – 1175. There was direct access from the upper floor of Dankwarderode Castle to the north transept of Brunswick Cathedral. When Brunswick Cathedral was officially consecrated in 1226, it was dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket, Saint Blaise, and Saint John the Baptist. Matilda was a strong supporter of the 1173 canonization as a saint of Thomas Becket who had been murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by four of her father’s knights in 1170. See Unofficial Royalty: Canterbury Cathedral for more information.

The central nave with the tomb of Heinrich the Lion and Matilda of England in the foreground; Credit – Di Photo by PtrQs, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81519784

A 1900 painting of Brunswick Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Brunswick Cathedral was built initially built as a three-aisled Romanesque pillar basilica. The cathedral was expanded and rebuilt several times, but the nave, transept, and choir are largely preserved from the 12th-century original building.

Tomb of Matilda and Heinrich with a memorial plaque for their son Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Von Brunswyk – DE:Wiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4217450

On June 28, 1189, Matilda died at Brunswick at the age of 33, about a week before her father King Henry II of England died. She was buried at the still incomplete Brunswick Cathedral. Heinrich, died on August 6, 1195, aged 65 – 66, in Brunswick, and was buried next to Matilda. Their tomb is the oldest double grave of a married couple in Germany. Their effigies are still the originals, made in the first half of the thirteenth century.

Crypt of Heinrich the Lion, Sarcophagus of Heinrich (left) and Matilda (right); Credit – Von Brunswyk, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18904214

Brunswick Cathedral and the Nazis

During the Nazi regime, the Nazis used Heinrich the Lion and Brunswick Cathedral for ideological and propaganda purposes. In 1147, Heinrich the Lion’s Wendish Crusade against Polabian Slavs, also known as Wends, who lived northeast of Brunswick, resulted in their subjugation and the colonization of their territory. The Nazis tried to make Henry the Lion appear as the pioneer of their ideology. Between 1935 and 1940, the cathedral’s 19th-century interior furnishings were completely removed and the building was partially structurally and aesthetically altered to reflect Nazi ideology. The tombs of Heinrich the Lion and his wife Matilda were opened, supposedly for archaeological work, but the work lacked any scientific basis. The opening of the tombs was used as propaganda to bring attention to Heinrich the Lion and what the Nazis wanted him to represent. All this was done under the supervision of Dietrich Klagges, Prime Minister of the Free State of Brunswick from 1933 to 1945.

Adolf Hitler secretly visited Brunswick Cathedral on July 17, 1935 to observe the work. The visit did not go as Klagges intended. After the tour, Hitler declared that from now on he would be the only one to decide on the type and extent of the construction work for the conversion of the Brunswick Cathedral into a Nazi shrine. All work orders given by Klagges were canceled. To Hitler’s great annoyance, news of his secret visit quickly spread among the local people. Hitler left Brunswick after just a few hours and never returned. After World War II ended, the structural and design changes the Nazis had made to Brunswick Cathedral were largely reversed where possible, and the cathedral was able to serve as a Lutheran place of worship again.

Burials at Brunswick Cathedral

The crypt at Brunswick Cathedral; Credit – By TeWeBs – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=147494393

Perhaps the two most famous burials at Brunswick Cathedral besides Heinrich the Lion and Matilda of England, are their son Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 -1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom (1768 – 1821), the wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom.

Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor

The seal of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

Otto was the third son of Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Saxony and Matilda of England. Otto’s maternal grandparents were King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. Otto’s maternal uncles were King Richard I of England (the Lionheart) and King John of England. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a supporter of his uncle Richard, who created Otto Count of Poitou in 1196. With Richard’s support, he was elected King of the Romans in 1198, a step toward being Holy Roman Emperor. In 1209, Otto went to Rome to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Innocent III.

In 1210, Otto attempted to add the Kingdom of Sicily to the Holy Roman Empire, against the wishes of Pope Innocent III, who excommunicated him. Otto allied with his uncle King John of England, Count Ferrand of Flanders, Count Renaud of Boulogne, Duke Henri I of Brabant, Count William I of Holland, Duke Theobald I of Lorraine, and Duke Henry III of Limburg in an alliance against France during the Anglo-French War of 1213–1214. The coalition was soundly defeated at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214 when Otto was carried off the battlefield by his wounded and terrified horse, causing his forces to abandon the battlefield. The defeat forced Otto to withdraw to his home in Brunswick, allowing Ferderico, King of Sicily to take the German cities of Aachen and Cologne, depose Otto, and become Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II. Otto died on May 19, 1218, aged 42–43, at Harzburg Castle, now in Bad Harzburg in the German state of Lower Saxony. There is a memorial plaque to Otto on the floor near the tombs of his parents which can be seen in a photo above.

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline of Brunswick was the daughter of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Augusta of Great Britain, the elder sister of King George III of the United Kingdom. In 1795, Caroline of Brunswick married her first cousin, the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. The marriage of Caroline and George is one of the worst-ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child Princess Charlotte of Wales was born nine months later. Caroline and George found each other equally unattractive and never lived together or appeared in public together. Caroline was ignored at the court and lived more or less under house arrest. After two and a half years, she left the court and lived for ten years in a Montagu House in Blackheath, London. Caroline was denied any part in raising her daughter Charlotte and only saw her occasionally. Sadly, Charlotte predeceased both her parents, dying in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21, along with her son. Had Charlotte lived, she would have succeeded her father on the throne.

When King George III died in January 1820, Caroline was determined to return to England and assert her rights as queen. King George IV was determined to be rid of Caroline and his government introduced a bill in Parliament, the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. The reading of the bill in Parliament was effectively a trial of Caroline. On November 10, 1820, a final reading of the bill took place, and the bill passed by 108–99. Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool then declared that since the vote was so close and public tensions so high, the government would withdraw the bill.

King George IV’s coronation was set for July 19, 1821, but no plans had been made for Caroline to participate. On the day of the coronation, Caroline went to Westminster Abbey, was barred at every entrance, and finally left. Three weeks later on August 7, 1821, Caroline died at the age of 53, most likely from a bowel obstruction or cancer. Before her death, Caroline requested that she be buried in her native Brunswick. Caroline was interred at Brunswick Cathedral next to her father. Her casket bears the inscription, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

Tomb of Queen Caroline in the crypt at Brunswick Cathedral: Credit – www.findagrave.com

This does not purport to be a complete list of the burials at Brunswick Cathedral.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Kirchengebäude in Braunschweig, Niedersachsen. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunschweiger_Dom
  • Der Braunschweiger Dom: Domkirche. (2024). Braunschweigerdom.de. https://www.braunschweigerdom.de/ueberdom
  • Dom Saint Blasius in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2021). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2098911/dom-saint-blasius
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2017). Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/matilda-of-england-duchess-of-saxony/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Brunswick Cathedral. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Henry the Lion. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Saint Boniface Abbey Church in Munich, Bavaria, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Saint Boniface Abbey Church; Credit- Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15352400

Saint Boniface Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Munich, in the German state of Bavaria, formerly the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded in 1835 by King Ludwig I of Bavaria who wanted to revive Roman Catholic spiritual life by founding new monasteries. Many monasteries were destroyed or used for other purposes from 1802 to 1814 during a period of secularization,  called the German Mediatization.

Saint Boniface (born Wynfreth circa 675, martyred June 5, 754) was an English Benedictine monk who was a missionary to parts of today’s Germany during the eighth century. German Roman Catholics regard him as an important national figure. The foundation stone was laid on October 12, 1835, the 25th wedding anniversary of King Ludwig I and Queen Therese of Bavaria, born Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. On a side note, Ludwig and Therese’s wedding on October 12, 1810, was held in a large outdoor space in Munich called the Theresienwiese. Named for his bride, Theresienwiese is the site of Oktoberfest, held every year to commemorate the wedding.

Tomb of King Ludwig I of Bavaria; Credit – Von Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62142909

In March 1848, King Ludwig I abdicated because he refused to reign as a constitutional monarch, and lost the support of his family and government ministers. Queen Therese died on October 26, 1854, and was initially buried in the royal crypt at the Theatinerkirche in Munich. Three years later, her husband had her remains moved to St. Boniface’s Abbey where he was also buried after his death on February 29, 1868.

Burial Site of Queen Therese of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

St. Boniface Abbey is located in a city, unusual for a Benedictine monastery, Monasteries were usually located near farmlands to support the monastery’s monks. King Ludwig II bought the former Andechs Abbey in Andechs, in the German state of Bavaria, secularised in 1803, along with its supporting farmlands, and gave it St. Boniface Abbey to support the monks of the monastery. In 1850, the former Andechs Abbey was refounded as a Benedictine priory affiliated with St. Boniface Abbey. Andechs Abbey served as a burial place for the House of Wittelsbach, the ruling family in Bavaria, since the Middle Ages.

Besides Andechs Abbey, members of the House of Wittelsbach are interred at the Theatinerkirche in Munich, the  Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Munich, and the  Michaelskirche (St. Michael’s Church) in Munich. In 1977, Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former Bavarian throne from 1955 until he died in 1996, set up a Wittelsbach private family cemetery in the Andechs Abbey garden due to the lack of space in the other Wittelsbach burial sites. The private family cemetery complex is now the main burial place of the Wittelsbach family.

An 1862 drawing of St. Boniface Abbey Church; Credit – Wikipedia

The architecture of the Saint Boniface Abbey Church, designed by the architect Georg Friedrich Ziebland (link in German), was based on early Christian basilicas. King Ludwig I sent Ziebland on a two-year study trip (1827 – 1829) to Italy to study Roman basilicas. For the Saint Boniface Abbey Church, Ziebland was inspired by Early Christian architecture and Byzantine architecture, using the round arch style and a terracotta and brick combination.

Saint Boniface Abbey Church interior before it was damaged during World War II; Credit – Wikipedia

St Boniface Abbey Church reconstructed by Hans Döllgast, 1948–1950, photographed before 1971; Credit – Hans Döllgast, post-war reconstruction and modern architecture

During World War II, on April 25, 1944 and January 7, 1945, Saint Boniface Abbey Church was badly damaged. German architect, graphic artist, and university professor Hans Döllgast (link in German), who worked on many post-war reconstruction projects, reconstructed the interior of the abbey church between 1948 and 1950. The nave was shortened to about a third of its original length. Nothing remained of the mosaics and frescoes in the style of Roman basilicas.

In 1988, a competition was announced that would enable the redecoration of the church’s interior. German painter Peter Burkart created a frieze of colored paintings above the arcades (a series of joined arches used to create a covered walkway or area).

The current interior of St. Boniface Abbey Church. Painter Peter Burkart’s frieze of colored paintings, mentioned above. can be seen. Credit – Von Digital cat – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43876001

Friedrich Koller created the relief over the interior portal with the end of time speech from the Gospel of Matthew verse 24, where Jesus describes signs and events that will precede his return. In the left aisle is a Stations of the Cross with colored prints created by Bernd Hendl between. Nearby is a sculpture by Christine Stadler of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). Benediktinerkloster in München. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abtei_St._Bonifaz_(M%C3%BCnchen)
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2008, June 25). Georg Friedrich Ziebland Deutscher Architekt und Baumeister. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Friedrich_Ziebland
  • Sternberg, Maximilian. (2022). Hans Döllgast, post-war reconstruction and modern architecture. The Journal of Architecture, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602365.2022.2086152
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). St. Boniface’s Abbey. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Dunfermline Abbey in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Dunfermline Abbey parish church; Credit – By Bardrock – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8271517

The current Dunfermline Abbey is a Church of Scotland parish church in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The church occupies the site of the choir of the medieval Benedictine abbey church.

A view of Dunfermline Abbey from the churchyard; Credit – By Robert Cutts from Bristol, England, UK – Dunfermline Abbey, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50587059

Reigning from 1058 to 1093, Malcolm III, King of Scots (the Malcolm in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare) established his capital in Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 11th century to the 15th century. Malcolm III built a royal residence in Dunfermline while his wife Saint Margaret of Scotland, born an Anglo-Saxon princess, founded a priory and introduced a small community of Benedictine monks from Canterbury there.

A depiction of Saint Margaret’s original tomb at Dunfermline Abbey; Credit – www.findagrave.com

On November 13, 1093, King Malcolm III and his eldest son Edward were killed at the Battle of Alnwick. They were both buried at Tynemouth Priory in Tynemouth, Scotland. Malcolm’s wife Saint Margaret of Scotland died at Dunfermline just three days after the deaths of her husband and son and was buried in Dunfermline priory church.

David I, King of Scots (reigned 1124 – 1153), the third son of Malcolm III and Saint Margaret to become King of Scots, made the Dunfermline Priory an abbey in 1128. He had a new Romanesque church built on a grand scale, of which the magnificent nave survives.

The nave of Dunfermline Abbey from the reign of David I, King of Scots; Credit – By Kim Traynor – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17460474

Margaret was canonized as a saint in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV. On June 19, 1250, following her canonization, Margaret’s remains were disinterred and placed in a reliquary at the high altar of Dunfermline Abbey. Her husband Malcolm III, originally interred at Tynemouth Priory in Tynemouth, Scotland, was reburied next to Margaret. Their son Edward, who had died in battle with his father, was also moved to Dunfermline Abbey.

The Wars of Scottish Independence was a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in (1296 – 1328) and (1332 – 1357). During these wars, in the winter of 1303, King Edward I of England held court at Dunfermline Abbey. When he left, he burned most of the buildings. Due to Robert I, King of Scots (reigned 1306 – 1329), known as Robert the Bruce, the Wars of Scottish Independence resulted in Scotland retaining its status as an independent state. Robert the Bruce financed the rebuilding of Dunfermline Abbey. It was a move that showed Robert the Bruce’s confidence in the Kingdom of Scotland following the Wars of Scottish Independence with England. When he died in 1329, Robert the Bruce was buried before the high altar of Dunfermline Abbey.

During the Scottish Reformation in 1560, Dunfermline Abbey was sacked and fell into disrepair. To protect the remains of Saint Margaret of Scotland and her husband King Malcolm III from being desecrated, George Durie, Abbot of Dunfermline had the remains taken to his rural estate at Craigluscar. In 1566, Mary, Queen of Scots had Saint Margaret’s head sent to Edinburgh Castle as a relic to assist her in childbirth. In 1597, Margaret’s head ended up with the Jesuits at Scots College in Douai, France, but it was lost during the French Revolution.

By 1580, King Felipe II of Spain had the other remains of Saint Margaret and her husband Malcolm transferred to a chapel at the Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. However, the location of the remains is now unknown.

The Victorian brass plate covering the tomb of Robert Bruce and Elizabeth de Burgh; Credit – By Otter – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5117548

After the Protestant Reformation, the nave of Dunfermline Abbey was converted into a Church of Scotland parish church for the people of Dunfermline, and the old choir was allowed to collapse. A new parish church was built on the site of the choir between 1818 and 1821. During construction work in 1819, Robert the Bruce’s coffin was discovered and the coffin of his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh was rediscovered in 1917. Both coffins were re-interred in the new church.

Royal Burials at Dunfermline Abbey

Saint Margaret of Scotland, stained glass window at St. Margaret’s Chapel at Edinburgh Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Dunfermline Abbey. (n.d.). Dunfermline Abbey. https://www.dunfermlineabbey.co.uk/wwp/
  • Dunfermline Abbey. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunfermline_Abbey
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2013). Saint Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Scotland. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-16-1093-death-of-saint-margaret-of-scotland-wife-of-king-malcolm-iii-of-scotland/
  • History of Dunfermline Abbey. (n.d.). Www.historicenvironment.scot. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dunfermline-abbey-and-palace/history/

St. Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

St. Mildred’s Church; Credit – By Mypix at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57460350

The History of St. Mildred’s Church

The fourth church on the site, Saint Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England was where Queen Victoria and her family worshipped when in residence at Osborne House, the beloved home Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built in the Isle of Wight. Queen Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice was married at St. Mildred’s Church and several family members are buried there including Princess Beatrice and her husband Prince Henry of Battenberg.

St. Mildred; Credit – Wikipedia

The church is named after Saint Mildrith (also known as Mildthryth, Mildryth, and Mildred), an Anglo-Saxon Abbess of the Abbey at Minster-in-Thanet, Kent, England, who was born circa 660 and died after 732.

The first church on the site was Anglo-Saxon and there are Anglo-Saxon remains of knights on horseback on the west wall of the church porch. The second church was Norman and is recorded in the 1086 Doomsday Book. In 1804, John Nash, an important architect of the Georgian era and Regency era, rebuilt the church.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House in the Isle of Wight from Lady Isabella Blachford in October 1845. However, they soon realized that the house was too small for their growing family and decided to replace the house with a new, larger residence. The new Osborne House, designed by Prince Albert and Thomas Cubitt, the London architect and builder, was built between 1845 and 1851.

Queen Victoria disliked the St. Mildred’s Church John Nash had built. She did not like the design, thought it was too small, and not private enough. Architect Albert Jenkins Humbert designed a new church with Prince Albert’s input. The chancel of the church was built in 1854 – 1855 and the remainder of the church was constructed in 1861 – 1862. The first service occurred in January 1862, a month after Prince Albert died. A side chapel, originally used by household members at Osborne House, was later made into the Battenberg Chapel after the early death of Princess Beatrice’s husband Prince Henry of Battenberg.

The Interior of St. Mildred’s Church

The Interior of St. Mildred’s Church; Credit – By Whiuppingham church interior, Isle of Wight by Ruth Sharville, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=148194849

Upon entering the church from the South Porch, the baptismal font, designed by Queen Victoria’s sixth child Princess Louise in the 1860s, is on the left. In 1863, Queen Victoria permitted Princess Louise to enroll at The National Art Training School to pursue her interests and she became a very skilled painter and sculptress. Princess Louise also designed the carpet surrounding the baptismal font and then embroidered the carpet with her sister Princess Beatrice and their ladies-in-waiting. In the late 1980s, talented women from St. Mildred’s Church restored the worn carpet.

The baptismal font and rug, both designed by Queen Victoria’s sixth child Princess Louise; Credit – By Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109283007

The Royal Pew is on the right of the chancel, the space around the altar. King Edward VII ordered pews to be placed in the chancel after his mother died. The pews replaced the plain chairs that were there during Queen Victoria’s reign, however, Queen Victoria’s chair is still there. A statue of St. Mildred is on the left of the high altar. An Anglo-Saxon princess, she was a niece of King Egbert of Kent, and the great-granddaughter of King Aethelbert of Kent.

Rose Window in St. Mildred’s Church; Credit – The Victoria Web

In the two transepts, the area crosswise to the nave, there are rose windows, copies of the rose windows in the Notre-Dame de Paris. In 1856, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert went to Paris, as guests of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French and his wife Eugénie, Empress of the French. Queen Victoria admired the rose windows and asked Prince Albert if she could have a copy in her new church at Whippingham. Prince Albert replied “My darling you may have two” and that is why St. Mildred’s Church has two rose windows.

Tomb of Princess Beatrice and her husband Prince Henry of Battenberg; Credit – By Tedster007 Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69403974

The Battenberg Chapel is opposite the Royal Pew. This was originally the Household Chapel where senior members of the royal household worshipped when in residence at Osborne House. Queen Victoria later made it into a shrine after the death of Prince Henry of Battenberg, Princess Beatrice’s husband. Members of the Battenbeg/Mountbatten family are buried in the Battenberg Chapel.

Royal Events at St. Mildred’s Church

The Marriage of Princess Beatrice by Richard Caton Woodville painted for Queen Victoria. Princess Beatrice is accompanied to the altar by her brother the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria. Her nieces were bridesmaids, but only eight out of the total of ten are shown in the painting; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

July 23, 1885 – Wedding of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom and Prince Henry of Battenberg

In 1884, Prince Henry’s brother Prince Louis of Battenberg married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the eldest child of Queen Victoria’s deceased third child Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. Of course, Henry attended the wedding in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine and so did the bride’s aunt, Princess Beatrice. Queen Victoria expected that Beatrice would never marry and would remain her personal assistant and secretary. However, during the wedding celebrations, Henry and Beatrice fell in love. When Beatrice told her mother of her desire to marry Henry, Queen Victoria did not speak to Beatrice for seven months. Eventually, the Queen realized that Beatrice would not back down and with some persuasion from the Prince of Wales, Princess Alice’s widower Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, and Prince Henry’s brother Prince Louis of Battenberg, Queen Victoria decided to allow the marriage with several conditions: Henry must renounce his military career, his nationality, and his home and agree to live with Beatrice and the Queen.

A copy of Princess Beatrice’s wedding dress is on display in the South Transept along with details of the wedding breakfast and photographs.

February 5, 1896 – Funeral of Prince Henry of Battenberg

Beatrice and Henry kept their promise and lived with Queen Victoria and Beatrice remained her full-time confidante and secretary. Henry was often bored by the lack of activity and to give him more to do, Queen Victoria appointed him Governor of Carisbrooke Castle and Captain-General and Governor of the Isle of Wight in 1889, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army in 1887, Colonel in 1893, and a member of the Privy Council in 1894.

In November 1895, Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. Henry arrived in Africa on Christmas Day 1895. By January 10, 1896, Henry was sick with malaria and it was decided to send him back to England. Henry died aboard the ship HMS Blonde off the coast of Sierra Leone on January 20, 1896, at the age of 37.

Burials in Battenberg Chapel

Burials in the Churchyard of Battenberg Chapel

Memorials in Battenberg Chapel Commemorating members of Queen Victoria’s Family and Household

Chancel

Reredos, a gift from King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria; Credit – By John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13870606

  • Queen Victoria (died 1901) Reredos (a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar) presented by her son and heir King Edward VII.

North Transept

Memorial to Sir Henry Ponsonby; Credit – by Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109285627

Memorial to Lord Henry Seymour-Conway; Credit – By Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109285729

  • Lord Henry Seymour-Conway (died 1830) lived at his estate at Norris Castle in the Isle of Wight, where he experimented with the use of seaweed as a fertilizer.
  • William Arnold (died 1801) Collector of His Majesty’s Customs
  • Reverand Matthew Arnold, a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and Military Chaplain, drowned at the age of 35

South Transept

West Wall

Memorial to Prince Albert, The Prince Consort; Credit – By Tedster007 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69403972

  • Prince Albert, The Prince Consort (died 1861) Sir William Jenner, one of Prince Albert’s doctors, diagnosed his final illness as typhoid fever. Albert’s modern biographers have argued that the diagnosis is incorrect. Albert had been complaining of stomach pains for two years and this may indicate that he died of some chronic disease, perhaps complications from Crohn’s disease, kidney failure, or cancer.

South Wall

  • Prince Sigismund of Prussia (died 1866), died from meningitis at 21 months, grandson of Queen Victoria, son of Victoria, Princess Royal

Memorial to Princess Alice; Photograph by Jacqueline Banerjee; The Victorian Web

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Hudson, T. (2022). Wootton Bridge Historical – Whippingham – St Mildred Church Tour. Woottonbridgeiow.org.uk. https://woottonbridgeiow.org.uk/stmildredchurch.php
  • Queen Victoria’s Church (St. Mildred’s) – EAST COWES. (2015). Visit Isle of Wight. https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/queen-victorias-church-st-mildreds-p1069381
  • St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham (2024). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mildred%27s_Church,_Whippingham
  • St. Mildred’s Church, Whippingham, Isle of Wight – Contents. (2025). Whippinghamchurch.org.uk. https://whippinghamchurch.org.uk/contents.htm
  • St Mildred, Whippingham, rebuilt by A. J. Humbert (1821-1877), in collaboration with Prince Albert: Interior. (2017). Victorianweb.org. https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/humbert/4.html
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Mildrith. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, Italy

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

The Basilica of Santa Chiara with the green roof – the church is on the left and the monastery is on the right; Credit- By Miguel Hermoso Cuesta – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39940345

The Basilica of Santa Chiara located in Naples, Italy is a Roman Catholic church, named for Saint Clare of Assisi (Chiara in Italian), one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi and the founder of the women’s religious order the Poor Clares. The basilica is the burial site for some members of the House of Anjou-Naples (reigned the in Kingdom of Naples 1282 – 1435) and the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (reigned 1759 – 1861). Besides the basilica, the complex includes an adjoining monastery and an archaeological museum.

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. In 1816, the two kingdoms were merged into the Kingdom of Two Sicilies.

Kings of Two Sicilies

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History of the Basilica of Santa Chiara

Construction began in 1310 during the reign of Robert of Anjou, King of Naples (1276 – 1343), founder of the Basilica and Monastery of Santa Chiara, who is interred in a tomb above the main altar. Naples architect Gagliardo Primario (link in Italian) designed the basilica in the Gotico Angioiano style, an early Gothic style in southern Italy named after the House of Anjou. The interior was decorated with the works of the most important artists of the time including sculptor Tino di Camaino and painter Giotto. Work on the basilica was mostly finished by 1328 but the consecration to Saint Clare of Assisi did not take place until 1340.

The interior with the 18th-century Baroque refurbishment; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1742 to 1762, the interior was refurbished in a Baroque style by a group of artists led by painter, sculptor, and architect Domenico Vaccaro. The stuccoed ceiling was replaced with frescoes by a team of artists including Francesco De Mura, Giuseppe Bonito, Sebastiano Conca, and Paolo de Maio. The floor was paved in marble with a design by Ferdinando Fuga.

The interior of the Basilica of Santa Chiara after the bombing of August 4, 1943; Credit – Wikipedia

During World War II, on August 4, 1943, American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft targeted the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) submarine base in Naples. The resulting fire that lasted two days severely damaged the Basilica of Santa Chiara and caused the loss of all the frescoes painted during 18th-century refurbishment and most of the Giotto’s 14th-century frescoes.


On the left, the interior with the 18th-century Baroque refurbishment; On the right, the interior today with the surviving original Gothic interior; Credit – Wikipedia

The restoration work started in 1944 and concentrated on the 14th-century architecture that remained intact, restoring the basilica to its original 14th-century appearance and removing the 18th-century refurbishments. The restoration work was completed in 1953 and the basilica was reopened to the public. Pillars, friezes, marble fragments, and sculptures that had been removed from the basilica were moved to a room in the monastery, that became the Marble Room, a part of the Museo dell’Opera di Santa Chiara (link in Italian). The goal of the museum is to reconstruct the history of the Basilica of Santa Chiara.

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The Exterior of the Basilica of Santa Chiara

The facade of the Basilica of Santa Chiara; Credit – By Effems – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75281369

The exterior of the Basilica of Santa Chiara is quite simple. The entrance consists of a large 14th-century Gothic portal, with a porch and three arched openings. Over the entrance, the facade has a wide pinnacle in which an openwork rose window is set.

The 14th-century portal; Credit – Par Lalupa — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2865567

To the left of the church is the bell tower, a separate structure. It was started in 1338 but not completed due to a lack of funds after the death of Robert of Anjou, King of Naples in 1343. Work began again at the beginning of the 15th century but an earthquake in 1456 collapsed most of the bell tower, leaving only the marble base. The bell tower was finally completed in 1601 in the Baroque style.

The bell tower to the left of the basilica; Credit – By Marco Ober – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94584568

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The Interior of the Basilica of Santa Chiara

The nave of the Basilica of Santa Chiara; Credit – By Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32072299

The interior has a single rectangular nave with no decoration and without a transept or choir. The transept is the part of the body of a church, usually crossing the nave, at right angles, at the entrance to the choir, forming a cross. The eighteenth-century marble floor by Ferdinando Fuga was part of the Baroque refurbishment that survived the bombings of World War II.

The Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi which survived the 1943 bombing; Credit – By IlSistemone – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30409940

There are ten side chapels on each side of the nave, for a total of twenty, with circular arches at each entrance. Each chapel is dedicated to a saint and many of them contain tombs of noble Neapolitan families from the14th through 17th centuries.

The Main Altar

The main altar; Credit – Wikipedia

The main altar is a plain, simple table. A large wooden crucifix from the 14th century, probably by an unknown Sienese artist, stands behind the altar.

Behind the altar, the marble tomb of the basilica’s founder Robert of Anjou, King of Naples towers over the altar. The tomb was sculpted by the Florentine sculptors, the brothers Giovanni and Pacio Bertini (links in Italian) between 1343 and 1345. The tomb contains sculptures of members of Robert’s family. Robert’s effigy is dressed in a Franciscan habit. At the top of the tomb, Robert sits on a throne.

The Bourbon Chapel

The Bourbon Chapel at the Basilica of Santa Chiara; Credit – Di IlSistemone – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099754

The 18th-century Bourbon Chapel, which survived the World War II bombing, is directly to the right of the main altar. Carlo IV, King of Naples and King of Sicily (later Carlos III, King of Spain) had the chapel built beginning in 1742. It was to be a temporary burial place while the burial vault under the basilica was being built. However, it has remained the burial place of the four Kings of Two Sicilies and their wives, with one exception. Several children of Carlo IV, King of Naples and King of Sicily (reigned 1734 – 1759) who died before he became Carlos III, King of Spain in 1759 were also remain interred in the Bourbon Chapel.

Access to the royal crypt; Credit – Di Giuseppe Guida – Flickr: Basilica di Santa Chiara., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20267754

On the floor of the Bourbon Chapel is the access to the royal crypt which is decorated with the coat of arms of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

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January 25, 2014 – The Beatification of Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen of the Two Sicilies

Maria Cristina at prayer; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen of the Two Sicilies (1812 – 1836) was the first wife of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies, and has been venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy since her beatification in 2014. She was shy, modest, reserved, and a very devout Catholic. After her marriage to Ferdinando II, she found herself living in a court with a lifestyle that was very far from her sensitivity. This caused her to never feel quite comfortable. During the short time that she was Queen of the Two Sicilies, Maria Cristina managed to prevent the carrying out of all death sentences. She was called “the Holy Queen” for her deep religious devotion. Maria Cristina endured her nearly constant illnesses with patience and piety and was popular with the people for her charity, modesty, and humility. On January 21, 1836, five days after giving birth to her only child, the future Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies, 23-year-old Maria Cristina died from childbirth complications and was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara.

In 1859, a cause for the canonization of Maria Cristina as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church was opened. On July 10, 1872, Maria Cristina was declared to be a Servant of God and on May 6, 1937, she was declared a Venerable Servant of God. On May 3, 2013, Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing a miracle due to her intercession and approved Maria Cristina’s beatification. She is known in the Roman Catholic Church as Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy and is one step away from canonization as a saint.

Guests at the Beatification of Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy at the Basilica of Santa Chiara; Credit – https://realcasadiborbone.it/en/duke-duchess-castro-attend-beatification-queen-maria-cristina/

On January 25, 2014, the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, Italy, where Maria Cristina is interred in the Bourbon Chapel, was the site of her beatification ceremony. Several thousand people attended the ceremony including members of the two branches of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies led by Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria and Carlo, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro. Both branches claim to be Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and this event united them for the first time in fifty years. Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria, who died the following year, did not attend the beatification and was represented by his wife. Following the beatification ceremony, members of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies paid their respects at the tomb of Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy.

Tomb of Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy; Credit – By © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38973019

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Burials of the House of Anjou-Naples (reigned 1282 – 1435)

Credit – Di User:MatthiasKabel – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23301141; Credit – Di User:MatthiasKabel – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23301141

In the photo above, the tomb of Robert of Anjou, King of Naples, is immediately behind the main altar. To the right of the altar is the tomb of Robert of Anjou’s son Charles, Duke of Calabria. To the left of the altar is the tomb of Maria of Calabria, daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria and granddaughter of Robert of Anjou, whose descendants inherited the crown of Naples following the death of her older sister Joanna I, Queen of Naples who had succeeded her paternal grandfather Robert of Anjou, King of Naples.

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Burials of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (reigned 1759 – 1861)

The Bourbon Chapel at the Basilica of Santa Chiara; Credit – Di IlSistemone – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099754

The four Kings of the Two Sicilies and their wives, with one exception, were buried in the baroque-style Bourbon Chapel which was not damaged in the 1943 World War II bombing. The wife of Ferdinando I, Maria Carolina of Austria, was buried in her native Austria, at the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna, the traditional burial site of her birth family, the House of Habsburg.

Buried in the Bourbon Chapel are:

The remains of Francesco II, the last King of the Two Sicilies, his wife Maria Sophia of Bavaria, and their daughter Maria Cristina who died in infancy were originally buried at the Church of the Holy Spirit of the Neapolitans in Rome. In 1984, their remains were transferred to the Bourbon Chapel. Several children of Carlo IV, King of Naples and Sicily (reigned 1734 – 1759) who died before he became Carlos III, King of Spain and abdicated the throne of Naples and Sicily in favor of his son Ferdinando in 1759, were also buried in the Bourbon Chapel. Other members of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies were interred in the royal crypt which is reached by the entrance in the floor of the Bourbon Crypt. (Photo above in the Bourbon Chapel section.)

It will be noticed that many offspring of Ferdinand I died as children and some are listed as “of Naples and Sicily.” Ferdinando I reigned as King of Naples and Sicily from 1759 – 1816, and then as King of the Two Sicilies from 1816 – 1825. Ferdinando I and his wife Maria Carolina of Austria had seventeen children but ten died in childhood. Of those ten children, seven died from smallpox.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Basilika Santa Chiara (Neapel) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilika_Santa_Chiara_(Neapel)> [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Santa Chiara, Naples – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Chiara,_Naples> [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  • Findagrave.com. 2022. Memorials in Chiesa Santa Chiara – Find a Grave. [online] Available at: <https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2138668/memorial-search?page=1#sr-119632076> [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-cristina-of-savoy-queen-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2022. Basilica di Santa Chiara (Napoli) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_Santa_Chiara_(Napoli)> [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2022. Cappella dei Borbone – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappella_dei_Borbone> [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2022. Sepolcro di Roberto d’Angiò – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepolcro_di_Roberto_d%27Angi%C3%B2> [Accessed 19 May 2022].
  • Realcasadiborbone.it. 2014. Beatification of Queen Maria Cristina of Savoy – Real Casa di Borbone delle Due Sicilie. [online] Available at: <https://realcasadiborbone.it/en/duke-duchess-castro-attend-beatification-queen-maria-cristina/> [Accessed 19 May 2022].

St. George’s Church at Oplenac in Topola, Serbia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

St. George’s Church; Credit – By Jelko – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21400020

St. George’s Church is a Serbian Orthodox church located at the top of the Oplenac Hill in the town of Topola, Serbia. It is the burial site of the Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Family from the House of Karađorđević. The church is part of Oplenac, a complex that also includes The King’s Winery and Vineyard, the Vineyard’s Keeper’s House, King Peter’s House, and Karađorđe’s Residence.

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History of St. George’s Church

King Peter I of Serbia, founder of St. George’s Church which is in the background); Credit- https://oplenac.rs/

St. George’s Church was built to replace an earlier church in Topola that had been built by Đorđe (George) Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George) (1768 – 1817), the founder of the House of Karađorđević, to be the burial site of his new dynasty. Unfortunately, in 1813, Topola was attacked by the Ottoman Turks and the church was severely damaged. Even more unfortunate, on July 26, 1817, Karađorđe was killed by supporters of Miloš Obrenović, from the rival House of Obrenović. This act started decades of feuding between the House of Karađorđević and the House of Obrenović.

Karađorđe’s son Alexander Karađorđević, (sovereign) Prince of Serbia did some restoration in the town of Topola and had planned to build a new church but in 1858, Alexander was forced to abdicate by the rival House of Obrenović which held power until 1903. In 1903, a coup d’etat led by army officers who supported the House of Karađorđević assassinated King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga, resulting in the extinction of the rival House of Obrenović. Prince Peter Karađorđević, the son of Alexander Karađorđević, was then proclaimed King Peter I of Serbia (King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1918 to 1921).

St. George’s Church in the distance, atop Oplenac Hill with the town of Topola in the foreground; Credit – By XJeanLuc at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5982584

Peter I immediately set out to plan a new church. In 1903, he chose the site for the church atop the 1105-foot/337-meter-high Oplenac Hill. The initial architect and his plans were scrapped due to Peter I’s intense dislike of the plans. Another set of preliminary architectural plans was submitted by prospective architects to a committee and the commission was awarded to the young Serbian architect Kosta Jovanović. Peter I and the committee were impressed with Jovanović’s expertise in Serbian medieval architecture and his inventive design for the church. On May 1, 1910, construction on the new church began. The church was mostly complete by the fall of 1912. On September 23, 1912, Dimitrije Pavlović, Metropolitan of Belgrade dedicated the church in honor of Saint George (also known as George of Lydda), the same Saint George who is the patron saint of England.

The incomplete St. George’s Church in 1915; Credit – By K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle – Wien – https://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Preview/15454244.jpgCatalog: https://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=15454244, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54265966

The 1912 – 1913 Balkan Wars and World War I caused pauses in the completion of the church. When Serbia was occupied by Austrian-Hungarian troops in 1915, the church was looted and damaged. After World War I, restoration on the damaged parts of the church occurred along with work on the incomplete parts but Peter I did not live long enough to see the church completed. He died on August 16, 1921, and his son and successor Alexander I, King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (1921 – 1929), King of Yugoslavia (1929 – 1934) took over its completion.

The church was consecrated again on September 9, 1930, by Varnava Rosić, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church. During World War II, Yugoslavia (the country became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929) was occupied by Germany, and Peter II, King of Yugoslavia went into exile. In 1944, Communist Party leader Josip Broz, later known as Tito, established a Communist government. In November 1945, the monarchy was formally abolished and King Peter II was officially deposed. Yugoslavia would remain a Communist country for over forty years. Services continued in the church until 1947. Under the Communist government, St. George’s Church was declared a cultural monument and was converted into a museum of the Karađorđević dynasty. In 1991, after the fall of the Communist regime, members of the Serbian/Yugoslav royal family were able to return to their family homeland. On October 8, 1991, St. George’s Church was consecrated again and formally restored as a Serbian Orthodox church.

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The Exterior of St. George’s Church

St. George’s Church; By Malecko86 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35755492

Serbian architect Kosta Jovanović designed St. George’s Church in a unique Serbian-Byzantine style with a Neo-Byzantine cross-shaped base and a huge central dome surrounded by four smaller domes at the points of the cross. The church was constructed using white marble from the Venčac Mountain near Arandjelovac, Serbia.

The mosaic of St. George above the entrance; Credit – By Julian Nyča – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15371896

Above the main entrance is a semi-circle mosaic of the church’s patron St. George with the face of Karađorđe, the founder of the House of Karađorđević, slaying the dragon, symbolizing the victory of the Serbs over their enemies. The mosaic was designed by Serbian artist Paja Jovanović and was made in Venice, Italy.

The sculpted old coat of arms of the House of Karađorđević; Credit – https://oplenac.rs/st-georges-church/#gallery243-1

Above the mosaic in a circle, is a sculpted old coat of arms of the House of Karađorđević

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The Interior of St. George’s Church

Orthodox churches are set up differently than other Christian churches. They are divided into three main parts: the narthex, the nave, and the sanctuary. The narthex is the passage hall between the outer door and the interior parts of the church. It is the symbolic connection between the church and the outside world. It used to be the practice that non-Orthodox people had to remain in the narthex but this practice has mostly fallen into disuse. The congregation stands in the nave, the main part of the church during services. Traditionally there is no sitting during Orthodox services and so Orthodox churches usually do not have pews or chairs.

The Iconostasis; Credit – By Ванилица – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78926944

In Orthodox Christianity, an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings that divides the sanctuary from the nave. The sanctuary is where the Divine Liturgy is performed behind the iconostasis, accessible only to the clergy. The iconostasis usually has three doors, one in the middle and one on either side. The middle door is traditionally called the Beautiful Gate and is only used by the clergy.

Examples of mosaics in St. George’s Church; Credit – By Alekino – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16377213

The interior is covered with 725 mosaic images made in Italy (513 in the church, 212 in the crypt). The mosaics are reproductions of medieval frescoes in Serbia. Copies of frescoes from sixty Serbian medieval churches and monasteries were brought to St. George’s Church for reference.

Mosaic of King Peter I, St. George, Mary the Mother of God, and Jesus; Credit – https://oplenac.rs/st-georges-church/#gallery243-19

On the entire southern wall of the narthex is a mosaic of the founder King Peter I, wearing his regalia and holding a model of St. George’s Church in his left hand. St. George is holding his right hand and guiding him to Mary, Mother of God and Jesus.

The main dome at St. George’s Church; Credit – Credit – By Julian Nyča – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15371774

The interior of the main dome is a mosaic of Christ Pantokrator (Pantokrator = Almighty or All-Powerful). Christ Pantokrator is mostly an Eastern Orthodox concept that depicts Christ as a mild but stern, all-powerful judge of humanity. The mosaic on the main dome of St. George’s Church is a copy of the fresco (below) on the dome of the 1321 Gračanica Monastery in Gračanica, now in Kosovo.

The original fresco on the dome of the 1321 Gračanica Monastery; Credit – https://www.world-archaeology.com/travel/ulpiana-the-romans-in-kosovo/

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May 26, 2013 – State Funeral and Reburial of King Peter II, Queen Alexandra, Queen Maria, and Prince Andrej

 

King Peter II, his wife Queen Alexandra (born Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark), his mother Queen Maria (born Princess Maria of Romania), and his brother Prince Andrej finally came home to Serbia and were laid to rest in a state funeral at St. George’s Church on May 26, 2013. The funeral service and burial was attended by members of the Serbian royal family, Serbian government officials,  ambassadors, and members of other royal families.

King Peter II died on November 3, 1970, in Denver, Colorado, following a failed liver transplant. Per his wishes, he was interred at the Saint Sava Monastery Church in Libertyville, Illinois. Queen Alexandra died on January 30, 1993, in Burgess Hill, England. She was initially buried in the Royal Burial Grounds at Tatoi Palace in Greece near her parents King Alexander of Greece and Aspasia Manos. Queen Maria died in London, England on June 22, 1961. A great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she was buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England. Prince Andrej died in Irvine, California on May 7, 1990, and was first buried at New Gračanica Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Third Lake, Illinois.

Burials at St. George’s Church

The tombs of Đorđe Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George), founder of the House of Karađorđević, and his grandson Peter I, King of Serbia, the founder of St. George’s Church, across from each other; Credit – By Ванилица – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78923275

There are two burials in the transepts of St. George’s Church. A transept is an area crosswise to the nave in a cross-shaped church so that the nave and the transepts form a cross. Deserving of their special burial places in the transepts are Đorđe Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George), founder of the House of Karađorđević, and his grandson Peter I, King of Serbia, the founder of St. George’s Church.

The crypt under St. George’s Church; Credit – By Ванилица – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78926927

There are 40 tombs in the crypt beneath the church, and as of the publication of this article, 28 members of the House of Karadjordjevic have been buried in the crypt, representing six generations of the family. The tombs were used without special order and without respecting criteria, such as generations, kinship, and order of death.

The remains of a number of members of the House of Karađorđević were transferred to St. George’s Church from their original burial sites. If known, information about the transfers is listed below.

In the crypt under the church:

  • Marica Živković (died 1811), mother of Đorđe (George) Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George)
  • Prince Alexius of Serbia (1836 – 1840), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Jelena Jovanović (circa 1765 – 1842), wife of Đorđe (George) Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George), founder of the House of Karađorđević
  • Prince Svetozar of Serbia (1841 – 1847), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Princess Jelisaveta of Serbia (1851 – 1852), daughter of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Princess Kleopatra of Yugoslavia (1835 – 1855), daughter of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Prince Andrej of Serbia (1848 – 1864), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Princess Jelena of Yugoslavia (1846 – 1867), daughter of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Persida Nenadović, Princess of Serbia (1813 – 1873), wife of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia, first buried in Vienna, Austria, remains were transferred in 1912 to St. George’s Church
  • Alexander Karađorđević, reigning Prince of Serbia (1806 – 1885), first buried in Vienna, Austria, remains transferred in 1912 to St. George’s Church
  • Princess Milena of Serbia (1886 – 1887), daughter of Peter I
  • Prince Djordje of Serbia (1856 – 1889), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Zorka of Montenegro, Princess Karađorđević (1864 – 1890), wife of Peter I, first buried at the Cetinje Monastery in Cetinje, Montenegro, remains were transferred in 1912 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Andrej of Serbia (born and died 1890), son of Peter I, died at birth along with his mother Zorka
  • Alexander I, King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1921 to 1929, King of Yugoslavia from 1929 to 1934 (1888 – 1934), son of Peter I, assassinated
  • Prince Arsenije of Serbia (1859 – 1938), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Persida Ida Nikolajević (1869 – 1945), daughter of Princess Poleksija of Serbia, granddaughter of Prince Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Prince Nicholas of Yugoslavia (1928 – 1954), son of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Marie of Romania, Queen of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1921 to 1929, Queen of Yugoslavia from 1929 to 1934 (1900 – 1961), wife of Alexander I, first buried in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England, remains were transferred in 2012 to St.George’s Church
  • Peter II, King of Yugoslavia (1923 – 1970), son of Alexander I, first buried, per his wishes, at the Saint Sava Monastery Church in Libertyville, Illinois, remains were transferred in 2013 to St. George’s Church
  • Crown Prince George of Serbia (1887 – 1972), son of Peter I, in 1909, Crown Prince George killed his servant and was forced to give up his claim to the throne
  • Prince Paul of Yugoslavia (1893 – 1976), son of Prince Arsenije of Yugoslavia, grandson of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia (1929 – 1990), son of Alexander I, first buried at the New Gračanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois, remains were transferred in 2013 to St. George’s Church
  • Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Queen of Yugoslavia (1921 – 1993), initially buried in the Royal Burial Grounds at Tatoi Palace in Greece, remains were transferred in 2013 to St. George’s Church
  • Radmila Radonjić Karađorđević (1907 – 1993), wife of Crown Prince George of Serbia
  • Olga of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Yugoslavia (1903 – 1997), wife of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia (1928 – 2000), son of Alexander I, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (1924 – 2016), son of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Oplenac – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oplenac> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2017. Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/serbianyugoslavian-royal-burial-sites/> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • Oplenac. 2022. Oplenac: The Mausoleum of the Serbian Royal Family. [online] Available at: <https://oplenac.rs/> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Црква Светог Ђорђа на Опленцу — Википедија. [online] Available at: <https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A6%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3_%D0%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%92%D0%B0_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9E%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%86%D1%83> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • United Press International. 1991. Exiled prince vows to return to Belgrade. [online] Available at: <https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/10/07/Exiled-prince-vows-to-return-to-Belgrade/8142686808000/> [Accessed 16 May 2022]

Dresden Cathedral (Katholische Hofkirche) in Dresden, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Dresden Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Dresden Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Dresden in the German state of Saxony. During the time of the Electorate of Saxony and the Kingdom of Saxony, it was called the Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony (in German: Katholische Hofkirche). Always the most important Catholic church in Dresden, in 1964, Dresden Cathedral was elevated to the status of co-cathedral, a cathedral church that shares the function of being a bishop’s seat with another cathedral. Dresden Cathedral is a co-cathedral of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen with St. Peter’s Cathedral in Bautzen, Germany. It also serves as a parish church.

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History of Dresden Cathedral

Dresden Cathedral, circa 1840; Credit – Wikipedia

The House of Wettin split into two ruling branches in 1485: the Ernestine branch and the Albertine branch. The Albertine branch, while less prominent, ruled most of Saxony and briefly ruled Poland. In 1697, Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony converted to Roman Catholicism to obtain the Polish crown. From 1697 to 1706, and again from 1709 until his death in 1733, he reigned as King of Poland as Augustus II while remaining Elector of Saxony. This conversion to Roman Catholicism caused concern in Protestant Saxony, which increased when his grandson the future Friedrich August II, Elector of Saxony (who also reigned as Augustus III, King of Poland), also converted in 1712.

Upon his conversion in 1697, Friedrich August I had guaranteed religious freedom for the people of the Electorate of Saxony. However, he did not dare to displease his mostly Protestant subjects by building a Catholic church in Dresden. Instead, he discreetly practiced his Catholic faith in the Dresden Castle chapel. In 1708, Friedrich August I had a ballroom the Opera House at the Taschenberg in Dresden, converted into a Catholic church. He supported the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche, originally a Catholic church until the Reformation, when it became a Protestant church. This gave further assurance to the people of Saxony that Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony would not force upon them the principle of cuius regio, eius religio – whose realm, their religion – meaning that the religion of the ruler was to dictate the religion of those ruled.

It was not until Friedrich August I’s son Friedrich August II succeeded him as Elector of Saxony in 1733 that the Catholic Court Church (Katholische Hofkirche) was commissioned in 1736, initially under strict secrecy. At first, it was referred to as “a certain building”. Because of the conversion of the ruling family of Saxony, it was necessary to build a Roman Catholic church in Dresden to provide a Roman Catholic burial site for members of the Albertine branch. Friedrich August II’s father, Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony who had converted to Roman Catholicism to become King of Poland, had been buried at the Roman Catholic Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland. His wife Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth remained Lutheran and was buried in a Lutheran church. Christiane Eberhardine was called Sachsens Betsäule (Saxony’s pillar of prayer) by the Protestant people of Saxony for her refusal to convert to Catholicism and her loyalty to the Protestant faith.

The church was designed by Italian architect Gaetano Chiaveri and construction was carried out from 1739 to 1755. Initially, the Catholic Court Church was for the use of the Elector of Saxony, his family, and high-ranking officials and it was connected with a walkway to Dresden Castle, the residence of the family of the Elector of Saxony, and later, the King of Saxony. The Catholic Court Church was consecrated as the Court Church of the Most Holy Trinity on June 29, 1751, four years before the church was entirely completed, by Archbishop Alberico Archinto, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland.

Dresden Cathedral’s destroyed roof after the 1945 bombing; Credit – Wikipedia

During the joint British and American bombing of Dresden during World War II, from February 13 – February 15, 1945, the church was hit by bombs and badly damaged. As early as June 1945, mass was celebrated in the Benno Chapel and later in the left aisle. In 1962, the nave could be used again and the restoration was completed by 1965.

From March 2020 to February 2021 the cathedral was closed for extensive renovation work including the rebuilding of the walkway from the church to Dresden Castle. The nave was temporarily scaffolded up to the ceiling to repair damage and dirt on the ceiling and walls. The sacristy was completely redesigned and the cathedral received new lighting and a new speaker system.

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The Exterior of Dresden Cathedral

An aerial view of Dresden Cathedral; Credit – Von Carsten Pietzsch – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31879551

The cathedral was built in the late Baroque style. The structure of the free-standing, high central nave and the lower ambulatory aisle which completely surrounds the nave, are clearly visible from the outside. The ambulatory aisle served as a procession area. Any form of outdoor Catholic worship was forbidden in Protestant Saxony, and Catholic processions were banned.

Statues of saints; Credit – By Ad Meskens – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41602816

A striking feature of Dresden Cathedral is the seventy-eight larger-than-life statues of saints on the façade and the balustrades designed by the Italian sculptor Lorenzo Mattielli and the Dresden sculptors Paul and Jakob Mayer. The saints were chosen by Maria Josepha of Austria, Electress of Saxony, Queen of Poland, the Italian Jesuit and court confessor Ignatius Guarini (link in German), and the church architect Gaetano Chiaveri. Male and female saints are depicted and include apostles, evangelists, church fathers, founders of religious orders, important Jesuits, patron saints from the Saxon, Bohemian, Habsburg, and Polish regions, and allegorical figures.

During the bombing of Dresden in February 1945, sixteen statues were completely destroyed, eighteen were severely damaged, and numerous others had minor damage. From 1961 to 1972, the damaged statues were restored. The destroyed figures were replaced with copies from 1968 to 2002. Since 2002, unstable statues have been replaced with copies.

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The Interior of Dresden Cathedral

The nave looking toward the high altar; Credit – Von Jörg Blobelt – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62227414

The interior is divided into a nave, two aisles, and four corner chapels. A feature unique to Dresden Cathedral is the procession ambulatory, which runs around the entire nave. It was integrated into the church, at the time of construction, because Dresden was a Protestant city and the Catholic processional services had to take place inside.

The High Altar

The High Altar; Credit – Von Jörg Blobelt – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62227415

The high altar, made from marble and gilded bronze ornaments, was created by the Italian sculptor Andrea Salvatore di Antonio Aglio. The altarpiece, the large painting above the high altar, depicts the Ascension of Jesus Christ by Dresden court painter Anton Raphael Mengs.

The Left Aisle

The Martyrs Altar; Credit – By Ricardalovesmonuments – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110287469

At the end of the left aisle was originally an altar dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier but it was destroyed in the 1945 Dresden bombing. It was replaced by the Martyrs’ Altar commemorating three World War II martyrs whose ashes were originally interred in the Old Catholic Cemetery in Dresden (link in German). The three urns with their ashes were transferred on February 5, 2011, in a procession from the Old Catholic Cemetery to Dresden Cathedral where they are kept permanently on the Martyrs’ Altar.

  • Blessed Alois Andritzki (1914 – 1943), a German Roman Catholic priest who was a vocal critic of the Nazi regime and was killed by lethal injection in the Dachau concentration camp, beatified (the last step before sainthood) in 2011 at Dresden Cathedral
  • Bernhard Wensch (link in German) (1908 – 1942), a German Roman Catholic priest who was a vocal critic of the Nazi regime, died in the Dachau concentration camp
  • Aloys Scholze (link in German) (1893 – 1942), a German Roman Catholic priest who was a vocal critic of the Nazi regime, died in the Dachau concentration camp

Tje baptismal font by sculptor Balthasar Permoser; Credit – By SchiDD – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111691972

Also in the left aisle is the baptismal font with a gilded metal lid created by sculptor Balthasar Permoser in 1721.

The Right Aisle

Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus, surrounded by angels by German sculptor Herman Leitherer; Credit – By Ricardalovesmonuments – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110287485

At the end of the right aisle was originally an altar dedicated to Saint Ignatius of Loyola but it was destroyed in the 1945 Dresden bombing. An altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary replaced the original altar. In the wall niche above the altar is a statue of Mary holding the Infant Jesus, surrounded by angels created, by German sculptor Herman Leitherer (link in German) in 1987, inspired by the Mühlhausen altar in Bamberg Cathedral.

The Four Corner Chapels

Four chapels are located at the four corners of Dresden Cathedral. All four chapels suffered damage during the Dresden bombing in February 1945. Three of the corner chapels have been restored close to their original. An exception is the Memorial Chapel commemorating the victims of World War II which is an entirely new chapel.

The Sacrament Chapel

The Sacrament Chapel; Credit – By Mogadir – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43707533

The Sacrament Chapel, dedicated to the Eucharist (Holy Communion), is located at the southwest corner and is used for silent worship. The Founder’s Crypt, where the Electors and Kings of Saxony from 1694 to 1827 and some family members are interred, is located under the Sacrament Chapel.

The reproduction of The Institution of the Eucharist by the German painter Gerhard Keil; Credit – By Jörg Blobelt – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98058798

The original altarpiece, the painting over the altar, The Institution of the Eucharist (by French painter Louis de Silvestre, 1752), was destroyed in the Dresden bombing. It was replaced in 1984 with a reproduction by the German painter Gerhard Keil (link in German).

The reproduction of the ceiling fresco Adoration of the Eucharistic; Credit – By Jörg Blobelt – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77116515

The ceiling fresco Adoration of the Eucharistic (by Italian painter Stefano Torelli, 1755) was also destroyed and was recreated.

The Cross Chapel

The Cross Chapel; Credit – By Ad Meskens – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41624986

The Cross Chapel is located at the northwest corner. It is where weekday masses for the cathedral parish are celebrated. The Royal Crypt, where the two Kings of Saxony from 1830 to 1873 and their wives are interred is located under the Cross Chapel.

The altarpiece, Crucifixion of Christ (by French painter Charles François Hutin, 1753), was restored after the Dresden bombing but the ceiling fresco painted by Benjamin Theil in 1787 was damaged and was only partly restored.

The Benno Chapel

The Benno Chapel; Credit – By Ricardalovesmonuments – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110287472

The Benno Chapel is located at the southeast corner. It is dedicated to Saint Benno of Meissen (circa 1010 – 1106) who was named Bishop of Meissen in 1066. Benno, venerated since the 13th century, was canonized as a saint in 1523. Saint Benno is the patron saint of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen and also the city of Munich in Bavaria, Germany.

Reproduction of Bishop Benno Proclaiming the Christian Faith to the Sorbs; Credit – By Jörg Blobelt – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98058793

The original altarpiece Bishop Benno Proclaiming the Christian Faith to the Sorbs, a West Slavic ethnic group who lived in Saxony and Brandenburg (by Stefano Torelli, 1752), and the ceiling fresco (by Austrian painter Franz Anton Maulbertsch, 1770 ) were destroyed in the Dresden bombing and reproductions were made.

Reliquary made by German sculptor Paul Brandenburg containing Saint Benno of Meissen’s miter; Credit – Bistum Dresden-Meissen (Diocese of Dresden-Meissen)

On the altar is a reliquary made by German sculptor Paul Brandenburg (link in German) in 1997 containing Saint Benno of Meissen’s miter, the traditional headdress of a bishop, which is venerated as a relic.

The Memorial Chapel

Friedrich Press’ Pietà and altar in the Memorial Chapel; Credit – Bistum Dresden-Meissen (Diocese of Dresden-Meissen)

The Memorial Chapel is located on the northeast corner and is the new chapel that was built to replace the one that was destroyed in the Dresden bombing. The original chapel was dedicated to Saint Johann Nepomuk (circa 1345 – 1393) who was tortured and drowned after being thrown into the Vltava River (Moldau River in German) from Charles Bridge in Prague, then in the Kingdom of Bohemia, by order of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia after a dispute.  Johann Nepomuk was the confessor of King Wenceslaus IV’s second wife Sophia of Bavaria, Queen of Bohemia and apparently, he refused to reveal her confession.

Since 1976, the chapel has been a memorial for the victims of the Dresden bombing in February 1945 that killed up to 25,000 people. Displayed in the Memorial Chapel is a modern Pietà, a work of art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. Sculpted by German sculptor Friedrich Press (link in German) (1904 – 1990), the Pietà in the Memorial Chapel is the largest sculpture ever made from Meissen porcelain. The altar in the Memorial Chapel is also the work of Friedrich Press. During the Nazi regime, Press’ works were officially considered “degenerate art.” After World War II, nearly all of his works were religious-related art.

High up on the walls of the Memorial Chapel are the words of the sermon during the last mass before the bombing. Also on the walls are the names of 52 priests from the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen who were killed by the Nazis.

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Burials in the Founders Crypt

The Founders Crypt; Credit – By Mogadir – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43489343

The Founders Crypt is located under the Sacrament Chapel in the south of the cathedral. The Electors and Kings of Saxony from 1694 to 1827 are interred here. The crypt contains nine coffins including the coffins of three children of Friedrich August II, Elector of Saxony, during whose reign the Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony was built. The three coffins are the oldest in the entire burial crypt and were moved from their original burial site in 1751.

The heart of Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony, who reigned also as Augustus II (the Strong), King of Poland in a niche in the Founders Crypt; Credit – By Mogadir – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43489045

In addition, the heart of Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony, who reigned also as Augustus II (the Strong), King of Poland rests in a niche in the Founders Crypt. His body was buried in Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland.

Burials in the Royal Crypt

The Royal Crypt; Credit – By User:Kolossos – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2452678

The two Kings of Saxony from 1830 to 1873 and their wives are interred in the Royal Crypt under the Cross Chapel of the cathedral. The Royal Crypt is the smallest burial place in the church but the sarcophagi are the most ornate. The bronze sarcophagi were decorated in the Neo-Baroque style and each weigh five tons. King Johann’s sarcophagus is decorated with the owl of the Greek goddess Athena in honor of his knowledgable and studious nature. King Johann was an avid student of literature, and under a pseudonym, published numerous translations into German, including Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Burials in the New Crypt

The New Crypt; Credit – By Mogadir – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43488502

The two Kings of Saxony from 1873 to 1918, along with some of their relatives are interred in the New Crypt under the southeast aisle of the cathedral. The most recent burial in the cathedral is that of Georg, Crown Prince of Saxony son of Friedrich August III, King of Saxony, who became a Roman Catholic priest and renounced his succession rights.

Burials in the Great Crypt

The Great Crypt; Credit – royaltyguide.nl

Twenty-five coffins of members of the electoral and royal families of Saxony from 1763 to 1898 are interred in the Great Crypt under the northwest aisle of the cathedral.

  • Joseph of Saxony (1754 – 1763), son of Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony
  • Karl Maximilian of Saxony (1752 – 1781), son of Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony
  • Maria Carolina of Savoy, Electoral Princess of Saxony (1764 – 1782), 1st wife of Anton, King of Saxony
  • Friedrich August of Saxony (born and died 1796), son of Anton, King of Saxony
  • Maria Ludovica of Saxony (1795 – 1798), daughter of Anton, King of Saxony
  • Maria Johanna of Saxony (1798 – 1799), daughter of Anton, King of Saxony
  • Maria Theresa of Saxony (born and died 1799), daughter of Anton, King of Saxony
  • Carolina of Bourbon-Parma, Hereditary Princess of Saxony (1770 – 1804), wife of Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Saxony
  • Franz Xaver of Poland and Saxony (1730 – 1806), son of Friedrich August II, Elector of Saxony/Augustus III, King of Poland
  • Maria Elisabeth of Poland and Saxony (1736 – 1818), daughter of Friedrich August II, Elector of Saxony/Augustus III, King of Poland
  • Maria Anna of Saxony (1761 – 1820), daughter of Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony
  • Maria Kunigunde of Poland and Saxony (1740 – 1826), daughter of Friedrich August II, Elector of Saxony/Augustus III, King of Poland
  • Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Saxony (1767 – 1827) 2nd wife of Anton, King of Saxony
  • Maria Karoline of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony (1801 – 1832), 1st wife of Friedrich August II, King of Saxony
  • Anton, King of Saxony (1755 – 1836), son of Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony
  • Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Saxony (1759 – 1838), son of Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony, renounced his succession to the throne in favor of his son Friedrich August II
  • Ernst of Saxony (1831 – 1847), son of Johann I, King of Saxony
  • Maria Augusta of Saxony (1827 – 1857), daughter of Johann I, King of Saxony
  • Marie Johanna Amalie of Saxony (1860 – 1861), daughter of Georg, King of Saxony
  • Sidonia of Saxony (1834 – 1862), daughter of Johann I, King of Saxony
  • Maria Augusta of Saxony (1782 – 1863), daughter of Friedrich Augustus I, King of Saxony
  • Elisabeth of Saxony (1862 – 1863), daughter of Georg, King of Saxony
  • Amalie of Saxony (1794 – 1870), daughter of Prince Maximilian of Saxony, granddaughter of Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony
  • Maria Anna of Portugal, Princess of Saxony (1843 – 1884), wife of Georg, King of Saxony
  • Maria Alix Carola of Saxony (born and died 1898), daughter of Friedrich August III, King of Saxony

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bistum-dresden-meissen.de. 2022. Geschichte der Kathedrale. [online] Available at: <https://www.bistum-dresden-meissen.de/wir-sind/kathedrale/geschichte/geschichte-der-kathedrale> [Accessed 13 May 2022].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Katholische Hofkirche – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katholische_Hofkirche> [Accessed 13 May 2022].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Liste der Bestatteten in der Wettiner-Gruft der Katholischen Hofkirche – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Bestatteten_in_der_Wettiner-Gruft_der_Katholischen_Hofkirche> [Accessed 13 May 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Dresden Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Cathedral> [Accessed 13 May 2022].

Basilica of Superga in Turin, Italy

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Basilica of Superga; Credit – Di Antoniors81 – Opera propria, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26674899

The Basilica of Superga is a Roman Catholic church located in Turin (Torino in Italian), Italy. The Royal Crypt, built under the Basilica of Superga, is one of the traditional burial places of the members of the House of Savoy. Two Kings of Italy (who came from the House of Savoy), Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, were interred in the Pantheon in Rome. The earlier generations of the House of Savoy as well as Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia and Umberto II, the last King of Italy, are buried in Hautecombe Abbey, the ancestral burial site of the House of Savoy, now in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille near Aix-les-Bains in Savoy, France.

The House of Savoy had been Counts and then Dukes of Savoy, since the 11th century and ruled from the city of Turin, now in northern Italy. Vittorio Amedeo II, Duke of Savoy became King of Sicily in 1713 as a result of his participation in the War of the Spanish Succession. However, in 1720, Vittorio Amedeo II was forced to exchange the Kingdom of Sicily for the less important Kingdom of Sardinia after objections from the Quadruple Alliance (Great Britain, France, Habsburg Austria, and the Dutch Republic).

Sardinia, now in Italy, is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily but the Kings of Sardinia of the House of Savoy ruled from Turin, the capital of the Duchy of Savoy. They styled themselves as Kings of Sardinia because the title was superior to their original lesser title as Dukes of Savoy. However, they retained the regnal numerical order of the Dukes of Savoy. The children of the Kings of Sardinia were styled “of Savoy.”

Vittorio Emanuele II became the last King of Sardinia upon the abdication of his father in 1849. He then became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, while the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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History of the Basilica of Superga

Photo taken by Italian photographer Giacomo Brogi, circa 1850 – 1851; Credit – Wikipedia

The Basilica of Superga, now in Turin, Italy, is located at the top of the Superga, a 2,205 ft/672-meter hill. During the 117-day 1706 Siege of Turin in the War of the Spanish Succession, over 44,000 French soldiers surrounded the fortified citadel of Turin defended by about 10,500 Savoy soldiers. On August 28, 1706, Vittorio Amedeo II, Duke of Savoy (later the first King of Sardinia) and his cousin Prince Eugenio of Savoy-Carignano climbed the Superga hill to better examine the position of troops so they could develop battle strategies. On September 2, 1706, Vittorio Amedeo II and Eugenio once again climbed the Superga. They entered a small church on the hill where Vittorio Amedeo II prostrated himself in front of a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary as Madonna delle Grazie, Our Lady of Grace, and vowed that if the Virgin Mary allowed him to be victorious in, the Siege of Turin, he would build a magnificent church at the top of the hill dedicated to her. On September 7, 1706, the forces of Vittoria Amadeo II and Eugenio won a victory.

 

Vittorio Amedeo II kept his vow and commissioned Italian architect Filippo Juvarra to design the magnificent church at the top of the Superga. The Basilica of Superga, designed in the Rococo and Neoclassical styles, was constructed from 1717 to 1731. On November 1, 1731, the Basilica of Superga was consecrated and dedicated to Our Lady of Grace whose original wooden statue that Vittorio Amadeo II had prostrated himself before is kept in the Chapel of the Vow on the left side of the main altar of the Basilica of Superga.

The memorial to the victims of the Superga air disaster at the Basilica of Superga; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 4, 1949, an airplane carrying the Italian football (soccer) team Torino Football Club nicknamed Il Grande Torino, was returning to Turin, Italy after traveling to Lisbon, Portugal where the team had played the Portuguese football (soccer) team Benfica. At around 5:00 PM, the airplane was flying over the outskirts of Turin and was preparing for landing, when pilot Pierluigi Meroni, a World War II flying veteran, was warned that the weather in Turin was poor with fog, showers, and strong wind gusts. Minutes later, the airplane crashed into the retaining wall at the back of the Basilica of Superga. All thirty-one passengers which included players, coaching staff, team officials, journalists, and the flight crew were killed. Only three players who did not travel with the team because of injury or illness escaped the disaster. The walls damaged by the impact of the airplane are still visible, as it was decided not to rebuild them. This tragic event is commemorated by a museum and a plaque on the rear building, and a solemn mass is celebrated at the basilica every May 4 in memory of the victims.

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The Exterior of the Basilica of Superga

The Basilica of Superga; Credit – Wikipedia

During the construction, building materials were carried up the hill by donkeys. The hill was leveled by about 131 feet/40 meters to create a flat area for the basilica’s construction. A staircase leads to a large portico supported by eight Corinthian columns inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. Atop the basilica is a 213-foot/65-meter high Baroque-style dome with two symmetrical bell towers on either side.

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The Interior of the Basilica of Superga

The interior of the Basilica of Superga; Credit – Di Paris Orlando – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74180912

The interior was designed with a Greek cross plan, a church plan in the form of a Greek cross, with a square central mass and four arms of equal length. The diagram below shows the difference between the Greek cross plan and the more widely used Latin cross plan.

Greek cross (Church of Saint Sava) and Latin cross (St. Paul’s Cathedral) in church floorplans; Credit – Wikipedia

The Main Altar; Credit – Di Incola – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32157514

The interior has six chapels, four altars, and the main altar which is decorated with sculptures and monuments in Carrara marble. In the Vow Chapel is the original wooden statue of the Madonna delle Grazie, Our Lady of Grace, the statue Vittorio Amedeo II knelt in front of, and asked for the grace to defeat the French army.

The wooden statue of the Madonna delle Grazie; Credit – Wikipedia

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Burials at the Basilica of Superga

The Hall of the Queens – Notice the burial niches; Credit – Basilica of Superga

The original plans for the Basilica of Superga included a burial crypt but the plans were temporarily shelved because of funding issues. In 1774, forty-three years after the consecration of the Basilica of Superga, Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia commissioned architect Francesco Martinez, grandson of the original architect Filippo Juvara, to build a burial crypt. In 1778, the burial crypt was consecrated and arrangements began for the reburial of some royal remains that had been interred in other burial sites.

The Royal Crypt is divided into five rooms, including the Hall of Kings, the Hall of the Queens, and the Hall of Children, where children and princes and princesses who never reigned were interred. While there are some tombs, most burials are in niches along the walls of the rooms as seen in the above photo.

Traditionally, at the death of the sovereign, his remains were placed in the center of the Hall of Kings. Upon the death of the next sovereign, the previous sovereign’s remains were then moved to one of the niches. The last sovereign buried at the Basilica of Superga was Carlo Alberto I, King of Sardinia. He died in 1849 and his tomb remains in the center of the Hall of Kings because his successors became Kings of Italy and were buried elsewhere.

Hall of the Kings (First Room)

Tomb of Carlo Alberto, King of Sardinia in the Hall of Kings; Credit – Wikipedia

Second Room

Hall of the Queens (Third Room)

The funeral of Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, 5th Duke of Aosta on July 1, 2021 at the Basilica of Superga

Fourth Room

Hall of the Children (Fifth Room)

  • Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy (born and died 1705), son of Vittorio Amedeo II, King of Sardinia
  • Vittorio Amadeo, Prince of Piedmont (1699 – 1715), son and heir of Vittorio Amedeo II, King of Sardinia, died in his teens from smallpox, first buried in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, moved to the Basilica of Superga
  • Vittorio Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta (1723 – 1725), son of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, moved from his original burial site in 1790
  • Carlo Francesco Romualdo of Savoy, Duke of Chablais (born and died 1733), son of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, moved from his original burial site in 1790
  • Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Duke of Aosta (1731 – 1735), son of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, moved from his original burial site in 1790
  • Maria Vittoria of Savoy (1740 – 1742), daughter of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia
  • Carlo Francesco of Savoy, Duke of Aosta (1738 – 1745), son of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, moved from his original burial site in 1790
  • Maria Elisabetta Carlotta of Savoy (1752 – 1753), daughter of Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, moved from her original burial site in 1790
  • Amedeo Alessandro of Savoy (1754 – 1755), son of Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia,
  • Maria Anna Vittoria of Savoy (1683 – 1763), daughter of Luigi Tommaso of Savoy-Soissons, Count of Soissons, wife of Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen, marriage dissolved, moved from her original burial site in 1921
  • Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy (1729 – 1767), daughter of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, first buried at the convent of St. Andrew in Chieri, Kingdom of Sardinia, moved to the chapel in the cemetery at the church of St. George in Chieri in 1811, and then moved to the Basilica of Superga in 1823
  • Maria Cristina of Savoy (1760 – 1768), daughter of Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia
  • Eleonora Maria Teresa of Savoy (1728 – 1781), daughter of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia
  • Maria Adelaide of Savoy (1794 – 1795), daughter of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia
  • Maria Felicita of Savoy (1730 – 1801), daughter of Carlo Emanuele III, first buried in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles in Rome, moved to the Royal Basilica of Superga in 1858
  • A daughter (1800 – 1801), daughter of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia, moved from her original burial site in 1939
  • Benedetto of Savoy, Duke of Chablais (1741 – 1808), son of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, first buried at the Church of San Nicolo dei Cesarini in Rome, moved to the Royal Basilica of Superga in 1926
  • Maria Anna of Savoy, Duchess of Chablais (1757 – 1824), daughter of Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, wife and niece of Benedetto of Savoy, Duke of Chablais
  • Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy (born and died 1852), son of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, King of Italy
  • Carlo Alberto of Savoy, Duke of Chablais (1851 – 1854), son of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, King of Italy
  • Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy (born and died 1855), son of Vittorio Emanuele II
  • Prince Napoléon-Jérôme Bonaparte (1822 – 1891), husband of Maria Clotilde of Savoy, a daughter of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, King of Italy
  • Maria Clotilde of Savoy, Princess Napoleon (1843 – 1911), daughter of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, King of Italy, wife of Prince Napoléon-Jérôme Bonaparte
  • Prince Louis Bonaparte (1864 – 1932), son of Napoléon-Jérôme Bonaparte and Maria Clotilde of Savoy, grandson of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, King of Italy
  • Lydia di Arenberg, Duchess of Genoa (1905 – 1977), wife of Prince Filiberto of Savoy, 4th Duke of Genoa
  • Adalberto of Savoy-Genoa, Duke of Bergamo (1898 – 1982), son of Tommaso, 2nd Duke of Genoa
  • Filiberto of Savoy, 4th Duke of Genoa (1895 – 1990), son of Tommaso, 2nd Duke of Genoa

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Basilicadisuperga.com. 2022. The Basilica – Basilica di Superga. [online] Available at: <http://www.basilicadisuperga.com/en/places/the-basilica/> [Accessed 3 May 2022].
  • Basilicadisuperga.com. 2022. The Royal Tombs – Basilica di Superga. [online] Available at: <http://www.basilicadisuperga.com/en/places/the-royal-tombs/> [Accessed 3 May 2022].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Superga – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superga> [Accessed 3 May 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Basilica of Superga – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Superga> [Accessed 3 May 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Kingdom of Sardinia Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/kingdom-of-sardinia-royal-burial-sites/> [Accessed 3 May 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Basilique de Superga — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_de_Superga> [Accessed 3 May 2022].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2022. Basilica di Superga – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_Superga> [Accessed 3 May 2022].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2022. Cripta Reale di Superga – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripta_Reale_di_Superga#Elenco_dei_Savoia_attualmente_tumulati_a_Superga> [Accessed 3 May 2022].

Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Grand Church of the Winter Palace by Edward Petrovich Hau, 1866; Credit

The most important church in the lives of the Romanovs was the Grand Church located in the Winter Palace. The Winter Palace, on the banks of the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, served as the official residence of the Russian Emperors and Empresses from 1732 to 1917. This writer has visited the Winter Palace and it is truly awe-inspiring. Today, part of the Winter Palace houses the State Hermitage Museum, one of the world’s premier art museums. The Winter Palace’s monumental scale was intended to reflect the might and power of Imperial Russia and it is still a mighty and powerful building. It is said to contain 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms, and 117 staircases.

The Winter Palace from the Neva River. The golden cupola of the Grand Church can be seen on the left side; Credit – By Alex ‘Florstein’ Fedorov, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49250446

Aerial view of the Winter Palace; The golden cupola of the Grand Church can be seen on the left side; Credit – By Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51992181

The Grand Church, a Russian Orthodox church that had cathedral status, was the site of most christenings, weddings, conversions of foreign princesses marrying into the family, and memorial services. Funerals were usually held at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, the burial site of the Romanovs from Peter I (the Great) to Nicholas II, (with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI) located in the Peter and Paul Fortress across the Neva River from the Winter Palace.

Before the founding of St. Petersburg by Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia in 1703, the seat of power and the important churches were in the Moscow Kremlin. Male rulers of the Rurik dynasty and the early Romanov dynasty along with close male relatives and some Russian noblemen were interred at the Archangel Cathedral. Women of the Rurik dynasty and women of the early Romanov dynasty along with some Russian noblewomen were interred at the Ascension Cathedral of the Ascension Convent. Assumption Cathedral was the site of the coronations of the sovereign Tsars, Emperors, and Empresses of Russia, and some consorts from 1547 to 1896. It remained the coronation cathedral after the founding of St. Petersburg.

View of the Small Church in the Winter Palace by Eduard Hau, 1862; Credit – Wikipedia

A second smaller church, the Sretenskaya Church or Small Church of the Winter Palace, was conveniently located near the residential wing of the Winter Palace and was used by the Imperial Family for private worship. Today the former church displays Russian Orthodox church vestments of the 17th – early 20th centuries from the State Hermitage Museum collection.

The display of Orthodox church vestments in the former Sretenskaya Church; Credit – Автор: Netelo – собственная работа, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106021534

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History of the Grand Church of the Winter Palace

View of the Grand Church of the Winter Palace by Alexey Vasilievich Tyranov, 1829 before the fire of 1837; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1753, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia ordered the construction of a new (and the present) Winter Palace with a large church. Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, an Italian architect who worked mainly in Russia, was responsible for the design of the palace and the church. He designed the Grand Church in the Baroque style with an interior similar to a palace hall. Construction on the church began in 1753 and was completed in 1762. On July 12, 1763, Archbishop Gavriil Kremenetsky of St Petersburg consecrated the Grand Church. In 1807, Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia issued a decree giving the Grand Church the status of a Court Cathedral.

Fire in the Winter Palace by Pierre Marie Joseph Vernet, 1838; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 29, 1837, a fire broke out after smoke from an unswept chimney spread through a vent in a partition between the wooden and main walls in the Field Marshal’s Hall. The wall began to smolder and a fire broke out in the ceiling of the Small Throne Room. The fire lasted about 30 hours, and the Winter Palace smoldered for almost three days. Most of the second and third floors of the Winter Palace were severely damaged. The two-year restoration was led by Russian architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov. Some of the decorations of the Grand Church were able to be saved and Stasov was able to recreate the style of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli’s original plans. The Grand Church was reconsecrated on March 25, 1839, in a ceremony conducted by Metropolitan Filaret Drozdov of Moscow in the presence of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and his family,

After the Russian Revolution, in May 1918, the Grand Church was officially closed for worship. In 1938, the iconostasis, the pulpit, the lantern, and the altar canopy were removed and the former church became one of the State Hermitage Museum’s exhibition spaces.

Restoration work done from 2012 until 2014 was described by the State Hermitage Museum as a “recreation of the original design of the Court Cathedral” with “the icons, the candelabra, the standard lamps and pieces of the iconostasis, the pulpit, the lantern, and the altar canopy returned to their original place.”

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The Interior of the Grand Church of the Winter Palace

Orthodox churches are set up differently than other Christian churches. They are divided into three main parts: the narthex, the nave, and the sanctuary. The narthex is the connection between the church and the outside world. It used to be the practice that non-Orthodox people had to remain in the narthex but this practice has mostly fallen into disuse. The congregation stands in the nave during services. Traditionally there is no sitting during Orthodox services and so Orthodox churches usually do not have pews or chairs.

The iconostasis after the fire of 1837; Credit – By Januarius-zick – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42460200

In Orthodox Christianity, an iconostasis is a wall of icons, religious paintings, that divides the sanctuary from the nave. The sanctuary is where the Eucharist or Divine Liturgy is performed behind the iconostasis. The iconostasis usually has three doors, one in the middle and one on either side. The middle doors are traditionally called the Royal Doors and are only used by the clergy.

The gilded stucco walls; Credit – By Januarius-zick – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42460204

The Grand Church is divided by Corinthian columns into three sections and is brightly lit by large windows on opposite sides. Above the central area is a dome. The walls are richly embellished with gilded stucco in a Rococo design.

The pulpit; Credit – By Januarius-zick – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42460653

After the fire of 1837, architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov made every effort to restore the church as it was before the fire although there were few drawings to guide him. The gilded iconostasis, canopy, and pulpit were carved according to the original drawings. Some of the icons saved during the fire were returned to their places. The Royal Doors had survived the fire and were placed in the new iconstasis. After being repaired, the original silver chandelier was returned to its place in the dome.

The ceiling painting Ascension of Christ by Pyotr Vasilievich Basin; Credit – By Januarius-zick – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42460199

The new ceiling, painted by Russian painter Pyotr Vasilievich Basin depicts the Ascension of Christ and the lunettes, half-moon-shaped architectural spaces below the dome, depict the Four Evangelists, Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, by Russian painter Fyodor Antonovich Bruni.

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Wedding of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and Alix of Hesse and by Rhine by Laurits Tuxen, 1895; Credit – Wikipedia (Among those depicted in this painting against the wall and to the right of the window, from left to right: King Christian IX of Denmark, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna,  Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, Queen Olga Konstantinovna of Greece, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Grand Duke George Alexandrovich and Prince Heinrich of Prussia)

The Grand Church of the Winter Palace was the family church of the Romanovs and was where most important religious rites of passage were held including christenings, weddings, and the conversions to Russian Orthodoxy of the foreign princesses marrying into the Romanov family.

The many weddings held at the Grand Church include:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

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