Royal treasures hidden since Second World War recovered from cathedral

The burial insignia were recovered from a hiding place where they were stored in 1939. (Go Vilnius via CNN Newsource)

Historical treasures hidden for decades have been uncovered in the crypts of a cathedral, with items including burial crowns and insignia belonging to Medieval European rulers.

The cache from Vilnius Cathedral, in Lithuania, has not been seen since the outbreak of World War II in 1939, according to a press release from Go Vilnius tourism promotion agency on Wednesday.

Items include a crown belonging to Alexander Jagiellon, or Aleksandras Jogailaitis, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, who lived from 1461–1506.

Other artifacts include a crown, a chain, a medallion, a ring and a coffin plaque belonging to Elizabeth of Austria, or Elžbieta Habsburgaitė, who lived from 1436–1505.

There was also a crown, a scepter, an orb, three rings, a chain and coffin plaques associated with Barbara Radziwiłł, or Barbora Radvilaitė. She was married to Sigismund II Augustus, or Žygimantas Augustas, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and died in 1551.

“The discovered burial insignia of the monarchs of Lithuania and Poland are priceless historical treasures, symbols of the long tradition of Lithuanian statehood, signs of Vilnius as the capital city, and magnificent works of goldsmithing and jewellery,” said Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grušas in a statement sent to CNN by the Vilnius Archdiocese on Thursday.

The artifacts would have been put inside the sarcophagi of the royals when they were laid to rest, and the crowns would not have been worn, instead being made after death to form part of the burial tomb, according to the statement.

“This reflects the burial and honouring practices of the time,” the statement adds. “This discovery is of particular importance for our statehood, as it shows the location of Vilnius Cathedral as the necropolis of the elite of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.”

“These symbols are important both for the State and for each of us, as signs of European identity, as a reclaimed identity of the old State, as a sign of the strength of our roots,” said Rita Pauliukevičiūtė, director of the Vilnius Church Heritage Museum, in the Archdiocese statement.

The items were first discovered in 1931 when the cathedral was being cleaned following a spring flood, revealing a crypt containing the remains of the rulers.

They were put on display until World War II broke out in 1939, when they were hidden. Several fruitless searches were carried out before researchers turned their attention to the crypts in September 2024.

Using an endoscopic camera, the artifacts were finally recovered in December, wrapped in newspapers dated September 1939.

“They will be examined, restored and presented to the public in the future,” according to the archdiocese.