An Unexpected Treasure at the Cluny Abbey

    In our studies of medieval history over the past few months we have discussed the importance and beauty of the Cluny Abbey and the relevance it held throughout the middle ages. Cluny was a Romanesque styled monastery home to Benedictine monks for many years. Throughout history the original buildings have come and gone and modifications have been made, but it remains an area of importance and a wealth of historical knowledge to this day.                                                                                                                 Recently an important discovery has been made at Cluny including the largest number of silver deniers ever found. In this discovery of treasure, a gold signet ring, 2,200 silver deniers and oboles, 21 Islamic gold dinars and other various gold items were found. An interesting fact about this find is that not only is it the largest amount of silver deniers that has ever been found, but never before has such different items from various areas been found together in one place. It is thought that these areas include Spain, Morocco, and the signet ring has Roman markings. While the origin of this treasure and the reason for it being together in one place is not known to us, it is possible it was a donation from christian kings of Spain or some sort of payment.

    

Sources

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-medieval-treasure-unearthed-abbey-cluny.html

https://www.realmofhistory.com/2017/11/17/islamic-gold-dinars-abbey-of-cluny/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/archaeologists-find-buried-medieval-treasure-in-french-abbey/2017/11/15/444457d4-c9fc-11e7-b506-8a10ed11ecf5_story.html?utm_term=.bcea0ba6ed3b

   

What to Wear: Franciscan Monk Style

According to physicists at the Italian Institute for Nuclear physics, the tunic below is claimed to have belonged to St. Francis of Assisi. Radiocarbon evidence suggests that the date of this artifact matches up to St. Francis' lifetime and lived devotion to God as a Franciscan monk. 

Tunic preserved in the Church of Saint Francis in Cortona, Italy

St. Francis was a spiritual leader and founder of the Franciscan order in a time where living out a fulfilling spiritual journey was sought after. The Franciscans expressed their piety and devotion to God by living as mendicants, or beggars: living on the streets, begging for food, and dressing simply in their recognizable brown, gruff tunics. They believed living their lives out in poverty allowed them to ignore worldly objects and sacrifice their lives to God. This tunic represents one of the many new ways Medieval people found to express themselves religiously.

Now do I think this tunic belonged to THE St. Francis himself? No. Well, I don't know... Possibly? The chance is very, very, very slim. Extremely slim. But the authenticity of the artifact itself cannot be doubted thanks to science. Imagine St. Francis passionately preaching to the streets of Italy: his feet bare, raw, and caked in dirt, his tunic shredded, thin, and completely unsuited for the elements, but his face enlightened. He is completely fulfilled. 

Sources

Bryner, Jeanna. "Tunic Worn by Saint Francis Identified." Live Science, 10 September, 2007, https://www.livescience.com/1855-tunic-worn-saint-francis-identified.html. Assessed 19 November, 2017. 

Bennett, Judith. "New Paths to God." Medieval Europe: A Short History. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. 190-199. Print.