Crowns of royalty from Eastern Europe from the 16th century were found. They were lost since World War II

Among the objects found are crowns, rings, chains or a scepter. The artifacts will be restored and exposed to the public later this year.

A set of objects 16th century royal burialhidden for nearly a century, was recovered from a niche beneath a staircase in Vilnius Cathedral, Lithuania. The treasures, including gold crownsrings and other ceremonial objects, were hidden in 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War.

The discovery was made on December 16 by a team of experts who used a endoscope camera to explore cavities in the cathedral’s underground chambers. The discovery was officially announced on January 6 during a press conference, reports .

The objects, originally buried with 16th century rulers, were unearthed in following a 1931 flood which exposed the crypt and sarcophagi of three monarchs. Among the items were crowns, rings, chains, a scepter, a globe, and coffin plaques that identified the deceased as Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, along with two wives of Sigismund II Augustus, Elisabeth of Austria and Barbara Radziwiłł.

The Jagiellon and Habsburg dynasties, protagonists of European politics, were fundamental to the beginning of the Polish Renaissance, known as the “golden age” from the region. The Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas, hailed the costumes as “priceless historical treasures” and examples of exceptional jewelry.

Wrapped in a newspaper dated September 1939, the art objects had long been sought after by experts. Historical records indicated its existence, but previous searches failed to locate the hidden treasure.

“These symbols are significant for the State and for each of us,” noted Rita Pauliukevičiūtė, director of the Vilnius Church Heritage Museum, who emphasized the importance of the artifacts in the cathedral’s claim as the burial place of Lithuania’s elite.

The rediscovery has a immense historical value for Lithuaniaa nation with few surviving artifacts from this era.

The objects have been cataloged and will undergo restoration before being put on public display later this year, offering a rare glimpse into the opulent funerary traditions of Renaissance-era Lithuanian monarchs.