The crown of Mary of Modena, Maria Beatrice d’Este returns to the Modena area. A great opportunity to learn about the extraordinary story of the not so well-known princess from Modena, the only Italian woman who became queen of England. It happens on the occasion of the “Una corona a Palazzo” event organized by the Bbassa Emilia-Romagna association chaired by Laura Rebuzzi (owner of the crown) and by the Viceversa association of Laura Corallo. The tour of Mary of Modena’s crown starts from the parish of Fiorano which hosts the reliquary for the next two Sundays, 12 and 19 May, in the Messori chapel at the Sanctuary of Fiorano Modenese.
It is called “History on the Hill”, guided tours at sunset and offers a historical journey to discover the beauties of the Hill and the Sanctuary starting from 7 pm. Participants will be distributed a flyer with a copy of Mary’s marriage certificate donated by the president of the State Archives.
On the back there is the program of the Corona route after May at the end of the year: in June and July it will be on display in Pavullo, in October in Modena
An extraordinary presentation also scheduled for Monday 13 May on the occasion of the exhibition of the relic of John Paul II, again at the sanctuary of Fiorano: event starting from 7.15pm.
The Crown of Mary of Modena is the consort crown made by Sir Robert Vyner, the Crown Jeweller, in 1658 for Mary of Modena, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. Mary’s husband, King James II, paid out of his own pocket and also commissioned two new sceptres and a coronation ring for the ceremony. Originally set with rented diamonds, the crown is set with crystals and displayed at the Jewel House at the Tower of London. In 1649, the monarchy in England was abolished after a long civil war between Charles I Stuart and his Parliament, and the Crown Jewels were sold and turned into Mint coins. The coronation of Mary of Modena and her husband, James II, marked the first time a queen had been crowned since the restoration of the monarchy, as Charles II was unmarried when he took the throne in 1660. In 1831, the crown was deemed too much theatrical and in a poor state of repair and so another crown was made for the new queen, Adelaide of Saxony Meiningen.
