Crown of Thorns returns to Notre-Dame Cathedral after fire
An ancient relic, believed by some to have been placed on Jesus Christ’s head during his crucifixion, has returned to Notre-Dame five years after being saved from a devastating fire that ravaged the Paris cathedral.
The Crown of Thorns, a circle of rushes encased in a crystal and gold tube, was brought back to the newly restored cathedral in a ceremony led by Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich.
King Louis IX of France acquired the crown in 1239 from Constantinople for 135,000 livres—nearly half of France’s annual budget at the time.
Originally housed in the Sainte-Chapelle, it was moved to Notre-Dame’s treasury in 1806, where it remained until the fire destroyed the cathedral’s wooden interiors and spire.
Firefighters and police formed a human chain to rescue the relic and other historical artifacts from the flames.
After being temporarily kept at the Louvre Museum during the cathedral’s extensive restoration, the crown has now been placed in a newly constructed reliquary, replacing the one from 1806.
The return of the crown was marked by a procession attended by members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a Catholic order of knighthood.
The Crown of Thorns will be displayed for the public from 10 January, French media reports.
According to the Bible, the Crown of Thorns was used by Jesus’s captors to cause him pain and mock his claim of authority.
The cathedral reopened its doors to the public on 8 December, after extensive restoration works which cost a reported €700m (£582m) and involved an estimated 2,000 masons, carpenters, restorers, roofers, foundry-workers, art experts, sculptors and engineers.
Its reopening ceremony was attended by world leaders. In a speech at the event, French President Emmanuel Macron said of the restoration: “We must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility and will.”
