crown of thorns
Article
The thorny wreath plaited by the soldiers of Pilate and put on the head of Jesus, when they mocked Him as king of the Jews (Matthew 27; Mark 15; John 19). For centuries it was venerated at Jerusalem. Probably during the 11th century it was conveyed to Constantinople. In 1238 Baldwin II pawned it to the Venetians, from whom Saint Louis IX, King of France, redeemed it, 1239, and built in its honor the magnificent Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Since 1806 it has been preserved in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Single thorns, too numerous to be all authentic, are found throughout Christendom. A replica in gold and rubies of the real crown, as reconstructed by Rohault de Fleury, was placed on the statue of Our Lady of Martyrs at Auriesville, New York, the site of the martyrdom of Saint Isaac Jogues and his companions.
Associated in Art
- Blessed Clara Isabella Fornari
- Blessed Osanna Andreasi
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Saint Acacius of Byzantium
- Saint Adelard of Corbie
- Saint Agnes of Rome
- Saint Catherine of Siena
- Saint Francis de Sales
- Saint Jerome
- Saint John of God
- Saint Louis IX
- Saint Rita of Cascia
- Saint Rose of Lima
- Saint Theodore Stratelates
- Saint Veronica Giuliani
- Ten Thousand Martyrs of Ararat
- William of Norwich
MLA Citation
- “crown of thorns“. CatholicSaints.Info. 11 September 2021. Web. 28 April 2024. <>