Welcome to the treasure hunt! A sepulchre is where a person, often a famous one, is buried. The Holy Sepulchre was where the body of Jesus, the Son of God in the Christian religion*, was placed after his crucifixion. It is in Jerusalem. Originally it was just a simple cave (caves were often used as tombs). Afterwards, a church was built over the tomb of Jesus to protect it, called the church (or basilica) of the Holy Sepulchre. In the Middle Ages, when Godfrey of Bouillon, a very pious Christian knight from France, chased the Muslims* from Jerusalem, he founded a religious order to look after the church of the Holy Sepulchre and to welcome pilgrims coming to pray beside the tomb of Christ. Today, Franciscan priests look after the Holy Sepulchre. Over the centuries, this very holy place was enriched with an incredible treasure made up of the gifts brought here by pilgrims or sent by powerful Christian rulers. So the church of the Holy Sepulchre became richer and more magnificent as the years passed! It is this treasure which has exceptionally come all the way from Jerusalem to the Palace of Versailles and the House of Chateaubriand at Châtenay-Malabry: altogether, over 250 very precious objects are on display! You are now in the Crusades Rooms which were beautifully decorated in the 19 th century to present the history of the Crusaders and the reconquest of Jerusalem: go into the first one to admire its treasures! Room 1 The very first church to protect the tomb of Jesus was built in 325 by the Roman emperor Constantine. It was later often enlarged to receive the ever-increasing number of visitors. This scale model represents the Holy Sepulchre as it was before it was damaged by a fire in 1808. Question 1 You can read the words Occidens, Septemtris, Oriens and Meridies on the roofs around the central dome of this scale model. These are the Latin names of: 1. the materials used to make it: olive wood, mother-of-pearl, ivory and ebony 2. the cardinal points of the compass 3. the names of the first pilgrims who landed on the roofs by parachute Have you found it? Ok, so continue your exploration
In 1739, Queen Maria Amalia of Saxony, who had just married Charles of Spain, King of Naples and Sicily, the future King Charles III of Spain, sent this precious object to the Franciscans so that it could be placed in the cave in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Question 2 Consisting of a disk of red porphyry set into a mounting of richly embossed silver with the letters MAS. What words do you think they stand for? 1. The anagram of a religious expression: Merciful Almighty Saviour 2. The monogram of: Maria Amalia of Saxony 3. The coded motto of the Queen: Meals Are Sacred Now admire this sword that belonged to Godfrey of Bouillon (around 1058-1100), Duke of Lorraine, one of the principal leaders of the First Crusade. He was said to be able to slice through the neck of a camel with his sword as easily as if it was a simple rope! Question 3 In your view, what is the length of his sword? A. 1 metre / B. 2 metres / C. 5 metres By the way, this sword was used in 1806 to dub the writer and politician François-René de Chateaubriand a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre during his stay in the Holy Land! He wrote an account of his trip in his Itinerary from Paris to Jerusalem, a travel log in which Chateaubriand gives a description of the Holy Sepulchre and the life of the Franciscans there.
The treasure of the Holy Sepulchre was enriched over the years, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, with exceptional gold and silver decorative objects, like this staurotheke (a reliquary believed to contain a fragment of the cross in which Christ was crucified). It is made from gilt silver enriched with precious stones. Room 2 B A Question 4 This reliquary was damaged somewhat during its transport and some of the precious stones came loose. Replace them in the right place! F 1 2 Question 5 After restoring the stones, look at this large decorative object from Augsburg (Germany) and find the black outline that matches it! 3 1 2 3 4
Room 3 Along with pieces made from silver, gilt silver and even solid gold, the treasure of the Holy Sepulchre also possesses precious fabrics. These are liturgical vestments used for the mass and other religious ceremonies, like this dalmatic (tunic) decorated with embroidered fleurs-de-lys, the three-petal lily that was the emblem of the kings of France, sent in 1621 by Louis XIII. Question 6 How many fleurs-de-lys can you see? 1. 49 2. 60 3. 52 Question 7 Observe carefully the very fine ornaments embroidered with silk thread sent by the Most Serene Republic of Genoa between 1687 and 1697. Can you recognise the scene shown on this detail of the dalmatic? To find out, decipher the secret code! 19 1 9 14 20 19 12 1 25 9 14 7 4 18 1 7 15 14 Clue: A = 1, B=2, etc. 7 5 15 18 7 5 20 8 5 Before moving into the next room, admire the cedar wood door from the hospital of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem given to King Louis-Philippe in 1836 by the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud.
Room 4 and 5 Question 8 Do you know that all the objects of the treasure of the Holy Sepulchre are not locked away in storerooms but are still used today in ceremonies? So the thousands of pilgrims who visit the Holy Land each year can attend these services held with rich solemnity. In order to prepare the return of the treasure to Jerusalem, decipher the secret code to find out the name of each object so that it can go into the right crate! A Clue: A = 1, B = 2, etc. 3 18 15 19 9 5 18 B 20 18 1 25 D C 3 1 14 15 16 25 3 1 14 4 5 12 1 2 18 1 E 2 1 12 4 1 17 21 9 14 F 13 15 14 19 20 18 1 14 3 5
Baldaquin Crosier Monstrance Candelabra Canopy Tray I hope that you enjoyed the quiz! You deserve a treasure hunter s medal! Now we invite you to continue your visit to the house of Chateaubriand in Châtenay-Malabry! This fine residence, where the famous writer François-René de Chateaubriand lived, has become a museum and presents paintings belonging to the treasure of the Holy Sepulchre! But before that, have a quick look at the quiz solutions on the following page!
Dictionary The Christian religion, or Christianity, is the religion of Christians, who believe in God and his Son, Jesus Christ. The Muslims are the followers of Islam, the religion founded by Muhammad (or Mohammad) in the early 7 th century. Solutions to the questions Question 1: cardinal points of the compass / Question 2: Maria Amalia of Saxony / Question 3: 1 metre / Question 4: 1B - 2A - 3C / Question 5: outline no.2 / Question 6: there are 60 fleursde-lys visible / Question 7: Saint George slaying the Dragon / Question 8: A=Crosier - B=Tray - C=Candelabra - D=Canopy - E=Baldaquin - F=Monstrance Practical information TREASURE OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE FROM 16 APRIL TO 14 JULY In the Palace of Versailles (every day except Monday from 9:00am to 6:30pm. Free admission to the Palace and the exhibition for visitors under 26) and in the house of Châteaubriand in Châtenay-Malabry (Tuesday to Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm and 2:00-6:00pm, Sunday 11:00-6:00pm. Ticket: Independent visit: 2.50 for young visitors aged 12-18. Free for those under 12.) Quiz-booklet produced by Le Petit Léonard, the children s magazine for learning about art. Published by Editions Faton, CS 71769, 21017 Dijon cedex. www.faton.fr. Le Petit Léonard, the children s magazine for learning about art from age 7 up. To subscribe or order back issues: www.lepetitleonard.com. Blog: leblog.lepetitleonard.com Page 2: Scale model, wood and mother-of-pearl, anonymous, second half of the 17 th century. H. 45 cm. Jerusalem, museums of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. Page 3: Porphyry boss in silver mounting, Messina, 1739, diam. 51.5 cm, Jerusalem, museums of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land Sword said to belong to Godfrey of Bouillon, 15 th -16 th century, iron, cast iron, ivory, remains of gilding. Length: 100 cm. Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land Custody of the Holy Land, M.-A. Beaulieu. Page 4: Staurotheke or reliquary of the True Cross, circa 1628, Lescot, H: 51cm. Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land Custody of the Holy Land, A. Bussolin Large cup in the form of a bunch of grapes, 1618, H: 56.5cm. Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land Custody of the Holy Land, A. Bussolin. Page 5: Dalmatic from a pontifical set of vestments. Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land Custody of the Holy Land, A. Bussolin Red ornaments Custody of the Holy Land, A. Bussolin. Page 6 and 7: Crosier or pastoral staff, gift of Charles de Bourbon, King of Naples, 1756, solid gold, precious stones (rubies, emeralds, diamonds and sapphires). Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land Custody of the Holy Land, M.-A. Beaulieu Eucharistic baldaquin, gift of Philip IV of Spain, 1666, silver, gilt bronze, precious stones, H: 165 cm. W: 90 cm. Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land Custody of the Holy Land, A. Bussolin Large chalice, cast silver, chased and engraved, gift of Philip II of Spain in 1587. H: 29.5 cm. Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land Custody of the Holy Land, M.-A. Beaulieu - Custody of the Holy Land. Pair of very large candelabras given by Charles de Bourbon, Monastery of the Holy Saviour, Naples, 1760 - Custody of the Holy Land. Antependium of Pentecost, Monastery of the Holy Saviour, Naples, 1760 - Custody of the Holy Land. Monstrance, solid gold and precious stones, gift of Charles de Bourbon, 1746 Custody of the Holy Land. Procession canopy with the coat of arms of Spain, Spain, 18 th century, Custody of the Holy Land, M-A Beaulieu.