Tiara of Pope John XXIII
Encyclopedia
The Tiara of Pope John XXIII was the personal Papal Tiara
(triregnum in Latin
, triregno in Italian
) presented by the region of Bergamo
to Angelo Roncalli, who was born there, following his election as Pope John XXIII
in 1958.
Because Pope John's election as pope was so unexpected the region had not made plans to have a tiara manufactured. As a result John was crowned with the 1877 Palatine Tiara
given to Pope Pius IX
. In 1959 the tiara was completed and given to the Pope in the Vatican.
When asked for guidance as to its design, Pope John requested that it be lightweight and that the number of jewel
s the region was planning to use be halved, with the savings donated to the poor. The tiara as a result is the joint-lightest in the papal tiara collection, weighing only 2 lb
(900 g
)
John wore the tiara regularly during his papacy when not wearing either the Palatine Tiara or the Tiara of Pope Pius XI.
It has remained unworn since his death in 1963. His successor Pope Paul VI
was supplied with his own, far heavier solid silver tiara. Pope Paul later dispensed with wearing any tiara. Later popes, though they never abolished the wearing of the tiara, have chosen personally in each case not to wear one. However it remains open to any future pope to wear any of the tiaras in the Vatican's possession, including the Tiara of John XXIII.
Papal Tiara
The Papal Tiara, also known incorrectly as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, in Italian as the Triregno and as the Trirègne in French, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a prominent symbol of the papacy...
(triregnum in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, triregno in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) presented by the region of Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
to Angelo Roncalli, who was born there, following his election as Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
in 1958.
Because Pope John's election as pope was so unexpected the region had not made plans to have a tiara manufactured. As a result John was crowned with the 1877 Palatine Tiara
Palatine Tiara
The Palatine Tiara is the most widely used Papal Tiara in the possession of the Vatican. It was donated to Pope Pius IX in 1877 by the Holy See's Palatine Guard to commemorate his jubilee as a bishop...
given to Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
. In 1959 the tiara was completed and given to the Pope in the Vatican.
When asked for guidance as to its design, Pope John requested that it be lightweight and that the number of jewel
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s the region was planning to use be halved, with the savings donated to the poor. The tiara as a result is the joint-lightest in the papal tiara collection, weighing only 2 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(900 g
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
)
John wore the tiara regularly during his papacy when not wearing either the Palatine Tiara or the Tiara of Pope Pius XI.
It has remained unworn since his death in 1963. His successor Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
was supplied with his own, far heavier solid silver tiara. Pope Paul later dispensed with wearing any tiara. Later popes, though they never abolished the wearing of the tiara, have chosen personally in each case not to wear one. However it remains open to any future pope to wear any of the tiaras in the Vatican's possession, including the Tiara of John XXIII.