In recent weeks the events, at times obscure, relating to the discovery of the Habsburg jewels. A collection of inestimable economic and historical value which, however, would be missing the crown of the famous Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, better known as Sissi. One of the most important pieces of this treasure is the wonderful “Florentiner”, or “Fiorentino” diamond which, according to some, belongs to Italy.
The “rediscovered” jewels
Last October 19th almost the whole world was shocked at the news of the theft of Napoleon’s jewels at the Louvre. The museum and the whole of France have been the target of internal and international controversy regarding the ease with which thieves managed to take possession of such an important treasure. A month later, these true jewelery works of art have still not been found and many are wondering whether they are now lost forever, perhaps in the hands of a private collector, or dismantled and melted down.
Unfortunately, it is not the first time that humanity has helplessly witnessed such thefts, continuing to wonder even for centuries what was the fate of these precious which also represent a piece of world history. Until a few weeks ago, these were the questions that scholars were also asking about the Habsburg jewels, which mysteriously disappeared more than a hundred years ago, in 1921.
After the end of the First World War and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian empire, in fact, Emperor Charles I of Austria and theEmpress Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1892-1989) were forced into exile. Carlo, however, died of pneumonia in 1922, at just 34 years old. Zita remained alone and took the jewels with her, traces of which were lost almost immediately. Until today.
In the days in which French and international public opinion was wondering about the dynamics of the theft from the Louvre and the fate of Napoleon’s jewels, Spiegel and the New York Times announced that the treasure of the Habsburgs had been found. Or rather, it had never been lost, not completely, at least.
A few weeks ago, in fact, the former MEP Karl Habsburga descendant of the House of Habsburg, allegedly called a Spiegel journalist to reveal to him that the jewels of his predecessors were well kept in a safe in a bank vault in Quebec. Indeed, the collection would still be in the leather suitcase carried by Empress Zita.
Until 1921, Spiegel pointed out, the precious items would have remained in Switzerland, where Count Leopold Berchtold would have taken them on 4 November 1918, on the orders of Emperor Charles I. Then no more news. Disappeared into thin air from one moment to the next. According to one of the most credible hypotheses, until the “discovery” the empress could have recovered them and sold them in Budapest, where she was in 1923. This was not the case. In fact the imperial familyaided by the British, soon escaped from Budapest and embarked in Bordeaux, destination Canada. Zita took the jewels with her overseas and it was she who entrusted them to the bank in 1940.
Originally the collection also included the famous 137-carat diamond called “Florentiner” or “Fiorentino”, or also called “La Pietra del Destino”, which belonged to the Medici family. For decades everyone believed that this amazing diamond ended up at auction in New York in 1923. This was not the case. The “Florentiner” has always been in the vault, away from the gaze, but not from the memory of the world.
One hundred years later
According to the reconstructions of Spiegel and the New York Times, theEmpress Zita he allegedly ordered the fate of the Habsburg jewels to be revealed to two male heirs of the house, but only in 2022, a century after the emperor’s death. The sovereign’s wishes were respected: three years ago Karl Habsburg’s cousins were notified of the matter and reported it to Karl himself who, to Spiegel, declared: “Technically the jewels were not lost. Only a few people knew where they were.”
The authenticity of the treasure was declared by the jeweler of the imperial dynasty AE Köchert who, as the New York Times recalled, preserves the only photograph of the Florentiner, dating back to 1918. Here the problems begin: who owns the jewels? In particular, who owns the “Florentiner”? It is not at all obvious that they are a Habsburg property. In fact, there are many details that escape understanding, surrounded by the fog of time and mystery. It could be a complicated diplomatic affair in which the former imperial dynasty, Austria and also the United States would come into play.Italy.
The numbers don’t add up
The collection, “IlSole24Ore” underlined, included 38 pieces including, as underlined by the New York Times and Spiegel, Sissi’s crown and the Maria Theresa of Austria rose necklace (the mother of the Queen of France Marie Antoinette), which are still lost. However in vault of the Canadian bank, the Italian economic newspaper further explained, there would be only 15 jewels of the Habsburgs. According to historians, Carlo and Zita would have sold several of them because they had no liquidity: they could not count on their private assets, which apparently were too small. So the only option was to let go of some of these pieces of House History.
In 1919, however, theAustrianow a republic, issued the “Habsburg Law”, through which he decided on the exile of the imperial family and confiscated its assets (not private ones). The jewels that belonged to the personal collections of the house remained in Schönbrunn Palace, while the Crown Jewels were in the Hofburg (originally the Imperial Palace complex, now the residence of the Austrian president) in Vienna. Except that the Habsburg treasures found in Canada would have been taken from the XIII display case in the Hofburg treasure chamber. So, in theory, it would be an imperial treasure, not a private one.
Karl Habsburg, however, claims that when the law came into force the jewels were already out of Austria. In this way the descendant of the Habsburgs claims ownership and the right to exhibit them in an exhibition outside Austrian territory. However, his claim is based on the assumption that the treasure was always a private asset of the Habsburgs. A thesis to be demonstrated, also because, as we have seen, the jewels would have been taken from the collection Crown. In short, a real puzzle. As “IlSole24Ore” pointed out, Emperor Charles I would have issued a law to prevent the export of precious objects abroad. According to Karl, however, the sovereign did not violate one of his rules, he simply made an exception, a prerogative granted to him by his role.
Now the Austrian government would like to see clearly and has already contacted lawyers who are experts in the matter to understand whether the objections raised by Karl Habsburg regarding the possible claim of the jewels by Austria have any basis. In any case, it seems rather strange that for years the former MEP, despite being a direct descendant and the head of the house, knew nothing about this treasure. It is also unclear why he did not announce the “finding” of the jewels sooner. If the theft at the Louvre had not occurred, which in a certain sense was the “driving force” for the news relating to the Habsburgwould Karl reveal the existence of the jewels?
Claims from Italy?
Our country, continued “IlSole24Ore”, asked for the return of the “Florentiner” as early as 1923. Now it could try again by leveraging not only on the fact that the jewel belonged to the Medici, but also on the wishes of the last descendant of this powerful family, namely Anna Maria Luisa (1667-1743), Electress Palatine: as the website of the De’ Medici Museum recalled, the noblewoman remained in history for having stipulated, on 31 October 1737, the famous “Family Pact” with the Habsburg-Lorraine of Tuscany, who governed the Grand Duchy from 1737 to 1801.
In this will-agreement Anna Maria Luisa established that no one, not even the Habsburg-Lorraine, had the right to take works of art and jewels out of Florence or the territory of the Grand Duchy. Everything beautiful and precious that the Medici family had made and possessed had to remain in the city and in the state. An incontrovertible historical fact. With this “Family Pact” the last of the Medici wanted to preserve the splendor and wealth of Florence and Tuscany.
Oggi.it also noted that a possible claim of the Florentiner by Italy could also be based on Peace of Saint Germain-en-Laye (1919), i.e. the treaty stipulated at the end of the First World War which sanctioned the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Italy, in fact, was part of the side that won the conflict. For this reason the “Florentiner”, explained the weekly, could become a sort of “war compensation”.
This, at least, in theory. Currently it seems rather unlikely that the Italian state will ask for the refund “Florentiner” diamond based on the peace treaty drawn up more than a hundred years ago. In any case, from a legal point of view, the issue is very complicated and it does not seem, at least for now, that our country is interested in getting into this quagmire.
A tiara in your suitcase
Finally, there would be another oddity, reported by the Guardian. On 30 July 1996, Karl Habsburg, arriving in Hohenems (Austria) from Geneva, was stopped by the authorities and asked if he had anything to declare. The former MEP would have answered no. Only when the police warned him that they intended to search the plane did Karl admit to having traveled with one tiara from 380 thousand pounds. “I might have made a mistake”said the descendant of the Habsburgs, underlining, however, that he had never even thought of crossing the Austrian border without declaring the existence of the jewel.
Karl was fined £8,500. The fact, however, remains, if not a mystery, at least another oddity.
Maybe it has nothing to do with the treasure of the Habsburgs (and, in fact, no one can prove that there is a connection between the two facts), but in some way it may have instilled doubt in the media and public opinion. One of those perplexities that remain suspended in time awaiting a rational explanation that, perhaps, will never arrive.