Hidden Crowns…..
Precious and beautiful Santos statues adorned both French and Italian Churches.
Crowns were often given in consecration or thanksgiving to a particular statue ( most often our beloved Madonna and Christ Child).
During the World Wars, soldiers came through the small and large towns, seizing the churches first. When warning was giving of impending occupation, priests would take as much precious ornamentation as they could (in haste) from the parishes, and hide them ( often buried in the ground or placed in secret caves). As people died and war devastated, the hiding places were forgotten.
Little by little they were found, but very often the parish was no longer in use, or the statues were not there. The crowns then made their way into the antique markets over the many years.
Each one carries so much history… and sometimes they do find their way back to adorn a beloved statue.
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