Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral welcomed a new reliquary within it, intended to preserve one of the most sacred possessions of Christianity : Christ's crown of thorns. This contemporary piece of furniture, assembled in the Ateliers Saint-Jacques and the Fondation de Coubertin in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (Yvelines), was delivered to the cathedral on November 19. It is now ready to welcome the precious relic, after an official blessing planned for the beginning of December.
The reliquary, designed by designer Sylvain Dubuisson and designer Tiphaine Maire, is a masterpiece 3.65 meters high and 2.85 meters wide. It includes a cedar wood structure, a symbolic material of the Cross, topped with a large halo made of 396 glass blocks, each made by hand for a unique vibratory effect. At the heart of this halo, a stainless steel half-sphere, tinted a deep blue, will house the crown of thorns. The structure, in its entirety, is made up of more than a thousand different parts..
A living heritage and a symbolic gesture for rebirth
This crown, venerated by Christians since the 13th century, was acquired by King Saint Louis in 1239, after having been kept in Constantinople. Saved from the flames of the 2019 fire, the relic will find its case with this shrine, which can also house a nail from the crucifixion and a piece of the wood of the Cross. The shrine was designed to keep these remains safe, with each relic protected by a glass case.
The manufacture of this reliquary is the result of collective work, where craftsmen and designers combined their talents to recreate an object worthy of the history it houses. In just seven months, the Ateliers Saint-Jacques meticulously assembled each element and each craftsman placed a thorn on the work, symbolically marking their contribution to the rebirth of Notre-Dame.
A reliquary to discover discreetly
The shrine of this new reliquary is however not visible from the entrance to the cathedral. You have to go to the eastern chapel to discover this treasure, in a discreet corner of the building. Visitors can also touch a bronze disc representing the Crown, to honor the Crown of Thorns. Symbol of the Passion of Christ, it then finds a receptacle worthy of its history and its place in the hearts of Christians around the world.
Also read: Notre-Dame de Paris: the final presidential visit before the resurrection of the building
