Scepter of Charles V
The scepter of Charles V, also known in the early modern period as scepter of Charlemagne, is one of the most prominent preserved regalia of the Kingdom of France. It was donated by Charles V to the abbey of Saint-Denis on 7 May 1380, shortly before his death.[1] It has been used since for the coronation (sacre) of nearly all monarchs of France until Charles X, only excepting Charles VII and Henri IV. It has been kept at the Louvre since 5 December 1793.
Description[]
The scepter consists of four elements: a shaft, a bulb, a fleur-de-lis, and a seated figure of Charlemagne on top. The bulb is decorated with three scenes from the Historia Caroli Magni.[1]: 264 Charlemagne is represented holding a scepter and globus cruciger.[citation needed]
An inscription at the base of Charlemagne's seat reads "SANTUS [sic] KAROLUS MAGNUS ITALIA ROMA GALIA ET [?] ALIA". A reading of "...ET GERMANIA" was proposed in the 16th century but is incompatible with the preserved object.[2]
History[]
The scepter was probably created in the 1370s.[1]: 269 It has been attributed to court goldsmith Hennequin du Vivier. It may be viewed as bolstering the legitimacy of Charles V and his family in the context of the Hundred Years' War, by emphasizing their Carolingian lineage.[2] It was repaired on multiple occasions, including in 1722, 1775, 1804 and 1825. The crown is not original and was replaced at some date before 1624.[1]: 264 The scepter held by Charlemagne and one of the eagles on his seat are also replacements.[citation needed]
In 1804, the scepter's shaft was restored using what was until then a separate precious object, known as the staff of Guillaume de Roquémont, originally created in 1394.[1]: 274 That modification was made ahead of the coronation of Napoleon I during which the scepter was used together with other French regalia. The fleur-de-lis was enameled in white in the past, as appears in depictions such as the Madonna of the Vic family by Frans Pourbus the Younger.[citation needed]
Gallery[]
Full-length view
Detail of the bulb: Charlemagne's vision of Saint James
The "Madonna of Vic" depicting Charlemagne holding the scepter of Charles V, by Frans Pourbus the Younger (1617), Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs, Paris,
Part of the Saint-Denis Treasury, engraving of by Michel Félibien (1706): the scepter is displayed diagonally, behind the (now lost) reliquary of Saint Benedict at the center
Louis XV in coronation robes, by Hyacinthe Rigaud (1730), Musée de l'Histoire de France (Versailles)
Charlemagne with the scepter among ancient legislators, by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse, detail of the ceiling of the Salle des Conférences du Conseil d'Etat (1827), Louvre Palace
Charles X holding the scepter, by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (ca.1829), Musée Bonnat in Bayonne
Charlemagne holding the scepter in the bronze group Charlemagne et ses Leudes by the Rochet brothers, Paris , 1878
See also[]
Notes[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Danielle Gaborit-Chopin, ed. (1991). Le Trésor de Saint-Denis. Paris: Réunion des musées nationaux.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Sceptre de Charles V". Louvre. February 2021.
- French Crown Jewels
- Cultural depictions of Charlemagne