Denise Nelson was insightful and informative in her sharing pictures from her visit to many European Museums. A European Vacation, or a business trip? Since it was used  in preparation for this talk, that makes it a tax write-off in our mind.

Denise shared many magnificent master pieces as she provided a guided tour through wonderful pictures of castles, Precious and Semi-Precious gems in jewelry, altars, and other items.

Schönbrunn Palace together with its ancillary buildings and extensive park is by virtue of its long and colourful history one of the most important monuments in Austria.

Schoenbrunn Castle in Vienna with red and white flowers;

Schoenbrunn Castle

The Castle Eltz is situated in the green hills of the Eifel Region a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. Besides finding historical treasures one can spend days hiking or cycling through many marked hiking and biking trails.

Castle Eltz

Ivory carving from Castle Eltz in Germany;

Ivory from Castle Eltz

Jasper Beaker from the Munich Schatzkammer;

Jasper Beaker

Rheinisches Landesmuseum was originally founded by a Prussian prince in 1820 to display antiquities, reopened in 2003 it contains a fascinating array of religious treasures, along with many other exhibits on the Rhineland region.

Roman Musaic from Trier, Germany;

Roman Musaic

From the Munich Treasury – The Wittelsbachs’ Treasury, founded in 1565 by Duke Albrecht V, is one of the most important of its kind in Europe. The collection covers the late Graeco-Roman period and the Middle Ages, the late Gothic and Renaissance periods, with the statuette of St. George, created between 1586 and 1597, and the baroque and neoclassical eras. The Treasury contains over 1,250 works of art. They include such unique items as the insignia of the Kings and Queens of Bavaria, their jewels and orders, masterpieces of the goldsmith’s art and objects made from rock crystal, precious stones and ivory.

Gemstone and Amber Box;

Gemstone and Amber Box

The Crown of an English Queen (Bohemian or Palatine Crown) was recorded in England in a list of jewels drawn up in 1399. It most likely belonged to King Edward III or Anne of Bohemia, the wife of King Richard II, who was deposed that year by Henry IV. Henry’s daughter, Princess Blanche, married the Palatine Elector Ludwig III in 1402 and the crown passed to the Palatine Treasury in Heidelberg as part of her dowry. In 1782 it was transferred to the Munich Treasury along with other jewels belonging to the Palatine branch of the Wittelsbach family. This is the oldest surviving crown of England.

Crown;

Crown

St. George the Dragon-slayer;

St. George the Dragon Slayer

The World of the Habsburgs covered six centuries of rule, it lasted more than 630 years from the late 13th century to the end of the First World War in 1918.

Hapsburg Eagle;

Hapsburg Eagle

In 1985 the Middleham Jewel was found in the ground of the castle by a man who was using a Metal Detector. The Middleham Jewel is a mid-15th century 68 gram gold pendant with a 10 ct. Blue Sapphire. One side of the diamond shaped pendant is engraved with a representation of the Trinity and the other with a Latin inscription indicating that the pendant is a charm against epilepsy. The sapphire may represent heaven. It was acquired by the Yorkshire Museum in York for £2.5 million.

Middleham Jewel from Yorkshire, England;

Middleham Jewel

We Thank Denise for sharing her adventure with us.

Meeting Summary: Charlie Marts

Pictures provided by: Denise Nelson