Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece

When was this made?

This Miter was made around the 13th century. This period in Austria saw much change in this century, including decades of crusading battles that began with the fourth crusade until the last, the eighth crusade. Considering the importance and introduction of Miters into Benedictine Monasteries, the Miter was most likely constructed either at the beginning or early middle part of the 13th century. Many seals of Abbots and bishops began to depict ecclesiastical vestments during the 12th and 13th centuries to highlight the typical dress that a profoundly religious figure must wear. This iconography became synonymous with both bishops and abbots. Thus, when seals began depicting religious figures wearing miters along with their liturgical vestments in the early 13th century, it was clear that the popularity of Miters increased. Even though there are records of earlier Miters, their connection with the church can confirm the higher production quantity in the early to the mid-13th century. Furthermore, considering the importance that the crusades had at this time, Pope Innocent the third also played a role in these seals and the unified use of the Miter as he dictated that bishops and abbots could wear Miters, not just the pope. The Abbey Church of St Peter is a site that only held abbots; therefore, the introduction and declaration in the early 13th century would have been centered around abbots for the construction of the Miter, specifically at this church in Salzburg.

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