The Royal Crown of Serbia (Serbian:Српска краљевска круна,romanized: Srpska kraljevska kruna) is aroyal regalia that existed during theSerbian monarchy.
Serbia, like most formermonarchies in Europe, has had crowns once worn by its rulers. The various Serbian principalities and kingdoms were organised around a number of different royal dynasties. Many of these invested in symbols of royalty which has led to a number of distinctivecrowns,jewels and other treasures of incredible wealth surviving to the present day. As far as is known, there are four royal crowns once worn by Serbian kings or princes that have survived to the present day, of which just one is kept in the modern Republic of Serbia today.[1]
TheNemanjić Crown Jewels are the oldest of the surviving pieces of Serbian royal regalia. They were used in thecoronation ceremonies of members of themedievalHouse of Nemanjić. Most of the original Nemanjić crown jewels were lost or are located in foreign countries. Many Serbian royal valuables ended up inAustria,Hungary,United Kingdom,Germany,Montenegro,Turkey, andRussia. Fleeing from the Turks, Serbian princes and lords, together with the clergy and the people, when they came to southern Hungary, carried with them their movable property, which not infrequently contained the ruler's insignia and valuables. Valuables kept for generations have thus found their final destination in the palace treasuries and collections of Western Europe. Many Serbian officers and dignitaries left their movable properties, by marriage and sale, in the hands of Hungarians and Germans, mostly residents ofVienna andPest. But not only the Serbian medieval heritage, but also the heritage of the Serbs, Austrian subjects, who showed great cultural and economic progress in their new homeland, flowed for centuries, slowly, to Vienna andBudapest. This happened especially after the liberation of Hungary from the Turks, when Vienna and Pest developed rapidly. Retired high-ranking border officers of Serbian nationality immigrated to these two cities for two centuries, bringing with them many valuable possessions. Likewise, many Germans and Hungarians, generals and other officers, who served in the midst of Serbs, came to Vienna and Budapest, carrying entire caravans of almost everything that represented of value.[1]
A crown from the 18th century, belonging to thePetrović-Njegoš dynasty, was previously mistakenly attributed to KingStefan Dečanski. Although referred to as the "Crown of Stefan Dečanski," it is closer in form to a churchmitre worn by Orthodox bishops during liturgical services.[2] Originally the crown was in possession of theMetropolitanate of Karlovci and was later gifted toPrince-Bishop of Montenegro,Petar I Petrović-Njegoš. The last time the crown was used was during the coronation ofKing Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš in 1910. At the time of King Nikola's coronation in 1910, there was rivalry with theKarađorđević dynasty, and the "Crown of Stefan Dečanski" served as a political argument that the Petrović family were the "true" heirs of the Nemanjić dynasty.[1][3]
At theKaiserliche Schatzkammer, a crown once worn by members of the medieval Nemanjić dynasty can be found which was later attributed toStephen Bocskai, given by Ottoman Grand VezirSokolluzade Lala Mehmed Pasha on 11 November 1605 inRoško Polje. The second crown ofStephen Bocskai would end up in the possession of theBudapest museum. Together with these is a goldenmantle (buckle) of unknown origin which is believed to have been captured by the Serbs from theOttomans atBrasov.[1][4]
There are accounts that the crown ofHohenstaufen inGermany, also of Byzantine design, has Serbian origins and that it might have belonged to one of Serbia's medieval rulers. Due to the impossibility of testing, it is impossible to prove it.[1]
TheKarađorđević Crown Jewels were created in 1904 for thecoronation of KingPeter I. The pieces were made from materials that includedbronze taken from thecannonKarađorđe used during theFirst Serbian Uprising. This gesture wassymbolic because 1904 was the 100thanniversary of that uprising. The regalia was made inParis by the famous Falise brothersjewellery company. The crown and the rest of the regalia are in theHistorical Museum of Serbia inBelgrade. Until 1904 they were at the altar of the Royal Chapel of St. Andrew the First-Called which is at theRoyal Compound inDedinje. The crown is currently the only Serbian crown kept in Serbia.[1]
The Karađorđević Royal Regalia consist of the following:
The crown, scepter, and orb are decorated withgemstones found inSerbia and enameled in thenational colours of red, blue, and white. The royal mantle is made of purplevelvet, embroidered with gold and lined withermine fur.[5] Unlike in most European countries' regalia, there is nosword of state.
By the initiative of drDušica Bojić [sr], the director of theHistorical Museum of Serbia, with the support of theMinistry of Culture of Serbia, several crowns of medieval Serbian rulers were ideally recreated by the filigree artist Goran Ristović Pokimica (co-operated with other jewellers, filigree artists and goldsmiths) and aided byDragan Vojvodić [sr], historian and professor of medieval artwork and the corresponding member of theSerbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. The crowns were made of silver, which were gilded with nickel and gold. All the pearls are genuine from freshwater sources, while the precious stones were grown from dust under artificial conditions. About 13 techniques were used during the construction and everything was done the old-fashioned way. Each crown is worked between four and six months. They were officially revealed to the public in December 2022. The crowns were temporarily displayed in the Historical Museum of Serbia between February and March 2023. They are planned to be permanently displayed at the newly planned museum location, previously theBelgrade Main railway station.[6][7]
The first crown recreated was ofKing Stefan Uroš II Milutin Nemanjić, recreated from thefresco depictions in the King's Church ofStudenica Monastery. Weighing in at 1.6 kilograms, the crown is adorned with 26rubies, 18sapphires, 23amethysts, 4lapis lazulis and 407pearls. The production of the crown took four months, and the author used 13 techniques: rolling, cutting, forging, twisting, granulation, hand engraving, filigree, riveting, soldering, polishing, gilding, stone processing and faceting. Special care was given to make the crown of Stefan Dušan more elaborate and richer compared to Stefan Milutin′s, more fit for his Emperor status. Serbian rulers had several crowns during their reign, with Stefan Milutin′s crown as depicted in the frescoes inGračanica Monastery being the most elaborate from all the depictions of the ruler.[7][6][8]
Second crown recreated was ofEmperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan Nemanjić, recreated from the fresco depictions inLesnovo Monastery. Weighing in at 1.7 kilograms, the production of the crown took six months, also using the same 13 techniques.[7][6][8]
The third crown recreated was ofPrince Stefan Lazarević, recreated from the fresco depictions inManasija Monastery. Weighing in at 1.4 kilograms (1434.37 grams), the crown is adorned with 3obsidians, 13tourmalines, 3aquamarines, 3garnets, 4 amethysts, 26 rubies, 29sapphires and 69 pearls. While the original crown was most likely made of gold or glam silver, the replica was made of gilded silver.[7][6][8]
The crown ofEmpress Helena of Bulgaria, Emperor Stefan Dušan′s wife, was done by Jasminka Brkanović and was also recreated from the fresco depictions in Lesnovo Monastery. Due to the needs of the permanent display of the historical museum, the crown ofQueen Helen of Anjou, wife ofKing Stefan Uroš I Nemanjić and mother of King Uroš II Milutin Nemanjić, was recreated from the fresco depictions inSopoćani Monastery by Simon and Marsel Čivljak.[7][6]
There are plans to ideally reconstruct crowns of over 20 medieval Serbian rulers, starting fromKing Mihailo I Vojislavljević all the way toDespot Đurađ Branković.[6] By June 2023, Simon and Marsel Čivljak would recreate the crown ofQueen Simonida Nemanjić, wife of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin Nemanjić, from the fresco depictions in the King's Church of Studenica Monastery, as well as the crown of King Mihailo I Vojislavljević, from the fresco depictions in the Church of St. Michael inSton.[7]
