An ancient relic, believed by some to have been placed on Jesus Christ’s head during his crucifixion, has returned to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, five years after being saved from the devastating fire that engulfed the building.
The Crown of Thorns, which consists of a circle of rushes encased in a crystal and gold tube, was ceremoniously brought back to the newly restored cathedral in an event led by Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich.
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Originally acquired by King Louis IX of France in 1239 for 135,000 livres—almost half of France’s annual expenditure at the time—the crown was first kept at Sainte-Chapelle before being moved to Notre-Dame’s treasury in 1806, where it remained until the 2019 fire.
During the blaze, firefighters and police officers formed a human chain to rescue the crown and other invaluable artifacts. The fire destroyed Notre-Dame’s wooden interiors and its iconic spire.
While the cathedral underwent extensive renovations, the crown was temporarily housed at the Louvre Museum. Now, it has been placed in a newly built 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 knighthood. The crown will be displayed to the public starting January 10, according to French media.
According to biblical tradition, the Crown of Thorns was used by Jesus’s captors to inflict pain and mock his claim of authority.
The cathedral reopened to the public on December 8, following a €700 million restoration effort, involving 2,000 craftsmen and experts. The reopening ceremony was attended by world leaders, and French President Emmanuel Macron remarked, “We must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility, and will.”
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