Sensational archaeological discovery in the Vilnius Cathedral

A secret hiding place was discovered in the basement of the Archcathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Ladislaus in Vilnius, Lithuania - containing, as it turned out, the grave insignia of the rulers of Poland and Lithuania from the early 1500s.

The grave insignia of the rulers of Poland and Lithuania from the early 1500s recently found in Vilnius, presented for the first time to the public on 06.01.2025.

PAP / Valdemar Doveiko

The unique discovery was reported on Monday by the Lithuanian Archdiocese:

"On December 16, 2024, a hiding place was found in our crypt - where in 1939, after the outbreak of World War II, the royal regalia were hidden"

- the Metropolitan Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas, said during a press conference announcing the findings.

Sensacyjne odkrycie w Wilnie. W podziemiach bazyliki archikatedralnej św. Stanisława i św. Władysława odnaleziono tajny schowek z insygniami grobowymi władców Polski i Litwy. @PLinLithuania @dziejepl @zalewski_ka https://t.co/cVyyuxJpPt

— Redakcja Polska Polskiego Radia dla Zagranicy (@RadioZagranica) January 6, 2025

The hiding place contained the grave crown of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Jagiellon, as well as the grave crown, chain, medallion, ring and coffin plaque of Elizabeth of Habsburg, the first wife of King Sigismund Augustus.Apart from that - a funerary crown, a scepter, a royal orb, three rings, a chain and two coffin plaques of his second wife Barbara Radziwiłłówna were also found underground.

"These crowns were not worn during the lifetime of the rulers. They were made after their death and were part of the funerary insignia" - the archbishop added. The found objects will be thoroughly examined and restored - and in the near future they will be made available to visitors.

Wilno. Sensacyjne odkrycie archeologiczne z czasów Jagiellonów. W krypcie katedry znaleziono ukryte insygnia grobowe władców Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego i Królestwa Polskiego.

Z opublikowanych zdjęć wynika, że bezcenne przedmioty były owinięte w przedwojenne polskie gazety… pic.twitter.com/Ijyk38dv3v

— Biełsat (@Bielsat_pl) January 6, 2025

The Vilnius Cathedral crypt contains the tombs of King Alexander Jagiellon and of Queens Elizabeth of Austria and Barbara Radziwiłłówna. The heart of King Władysław IV Vasa was also placed here. The forgotten royal tombs were discovered after the flood that hit the city in 1931. At that time, a mausoleum for the royal ashes was established under the chapel of St. Casimir.

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Source: IAR, PAP