Guarrazar - The treasure was found in Spain in the late nineteenth century in Guadamur, near Toledo, in 1858, when a heavy rain found some ancient tombs hidden and sealed in concrete. Within them was the greatest treasure Visigoth in the Iberian Peninsula.

treasure

Dating back to the seventh century, jewels and pieces found exemplify the mastery of the goldsmiths Visigoths. The treasure consists of crowns, crosses and various objects. Crowns and crosses made of gold and decorated with symmetrical patterns with enamel cloisonné, have faceted gems in Cabochon: sapphires, garnets, pearls, mother of pearl, pink amethyst, chalcedony, quartz, emeralds, and also glass beads.

The jewelry shows the sophisticated style that confirms trade relations with the Visigoths, the Byzantines. The gold chains that sustain crowns and crosses suggest that were used in religious rituals and also could have been votive offerings of the Visigothic kings, nobles and bishops.

Unfortunately, most of Guarrazar jewelry was sold and melted and in 1921, the king's crown Suintila was stolen in Madrid. Still, the Treasury currently includes votive crown of King Recceswinth, who reigned from 652 to 672, ten crowns lower, nine crosses, 16 pendants, chains and parts of various objects and is spread across three European museums: the National Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the Royal Palace, both in Madrid, Spain and the National Museum of the Middle Ages in Paris, France.

There is no documentation detailing the date of the treasure of Guarrazar. However, the most likely reason for the precious objects were stored in the tombs may have been the arrival of the Moors (Arabs) to the Iberian Peninsula in the early eighth century. In 711, the Visigothic king Roderick (710-711) was defeated in battle in the region of Guadalete. Two years later, a huge part of the peninsula was submissive to Islam and was now to be called Al-Andalus.

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