Order of the Golden Spur
On the 15th of August 1357, Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, stood in Prague to confer a title upon Fenzio di Albertino di Prato. This specific date marked the beginning of what would become the Order of the Golden Spur. The title granted was Count Palatine of the Lateran Palace, which empowered Fenzio to issue licenses for doctors of civil law. By the mid-1400s, this honor evolved into an inheritable noble rank during the Renaissance. Emperor Frederick III named Baldo Bartolini, a professor at the University of Perugia, as a count palatinate in 1469. Bartolini received the Knighthood of the Golden Spur alongside his office, allowing him to confer university degrees. After the Sack of Rome in 1527, Charles V widely conferred these diplomas that included hereditary nobility. Titian received the order in 1533 after painting an equestrian portrait of the emperor. Pope Pius IV refounded the order in Papal hands in 1559 following the death of the Emperor.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had his portrait painted with the star-encircled cross of the order on his coat when he was fourteen years old. Giovanni Battista Piranesi received the order and used it to sign his etchings as Cav. G.B. Piranesi. Raphael, Giorgio Vasari, Orlande de Lassus, and Christoph Willibald Gluck all received knighthoods for their artistic or military contributions. The order was granted to those in the pontifical government, artists, and others whom the pope thought deserving of reward. It was given to strangers provided they professed the Catholic religion. Niccolò Paganini received the decoration from Pope Leo XII during a brilliant season in Rome in 1821. Antonio Latini served as steward to Cardinal Antonio Barberini before receiving the honor. Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, an Italian sculptor born around 1716, also became a knight of this ancient institution.
Casanova remarked that the Order they call the Golden Spur was so disparaged that people irritated him greatly when they asked details of his cross. He habitually wore the cross on its scarlet riband despite the public ridicule. In Paris, scandal arose concerning the sale of forged letters patent claiming to confer this title. Honoré Daumier included the Knight of the Golden Spur among his series of lithographs Bohemians of Paris in 1842. The satirically mocking legend described a former Colonel of the Papal Guard who would accept a tobacconist's shop or a position as inspector of street sweeping. Members of the Curia, prelates, and papal nuncios had the privilege of nominating recipients for decades. The order was given out liberally upon payment of a small fee, which damaged its reputation significantly by the mid-18th century.
Pope Gregory XVI reformed and renamed the order as the Order of Saint Sylvester and the Golden Militia in 1841 through the Papal Brief Quod Hominum Mentes. He withdrew all faculties from anyone who created knights by any means other than a Papal Brief. To restore the order to its ancient glory, he limited the number of Commanders to 150 and knights to 300 for the Papal States only. Pope Pius X divided the order into two separate entities on the 7th of February 1905 during his motu proprio Multum ad excitandos. One part took the name of Order of St. Sylvester while the other retained the older name of the Order of the Golden Spur. This division placed the order under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Modern membership has been restricted to one hundred knights throughout the world since that time.
The badge is an eight-pointed, enamelled gold cross with a small white medallion at its center. One side of the medallion bears the word Maria surrounded by a golden circle. The reverse displays the year MDCCCCV and the words Pius X Restituit within its surrounding circle. A small golden spur pendants from the bottom of the cross. The decoration hangs from a red ribbon with white borders. The star worn on the left breast is the same cross centered upon the rays of a silver star. The official uniform includes a red tunic decorated with two rows of gilt buttons. Black velvet collar and cuffs are embroidered in gold along with black trousers featuring gold side stripes. Gold spurs appear on epaulettes ornamented with gold fringes and surmounted by the emblem of the order. Members wear an oblong two-peaked hat trimmed with gold bearing papal colors. A sword whose hilt forms a gilt cross sits in a black scabbard held by a gold sword belt with red fringe.
Diego García de Paredes served as a Spanish soldier between 1466 and 1534 before receiving knighthood. Miklós Horthy acted as Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1920 to 1944. Benito Mussolini received the honor during his political career spanning 1883 to 1945. Prince Paul of Yugoslavia served as Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1934 to 1976. Hussein bin Talal reigned as King of Jordan from 1952 until his death in 1999. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was Shah of Iran from 1919 to 1980. Sukarno served as President of Indonesia after World War II. Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg lived from 1921 to 2019 and was the last remaining knight. The order is used to award merit without any consideration of noble birth since 1841 reforms. It remains the second highest of the papal orders behind the Supreme Order of Christ.
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg died on the 23rd of April 2019 at the age of ninety-eight. His passing marked the end of active membership within the Order of the Golden Spur. There are no living members of the order following his death. The order is now considered dormant by historians and Vatican officials alike. Before 1905, members were entitled to wear a gold livery collar chain but this practice stopped when the order revived. In ecclesiastical heraldry, individuals awarded this order may depict the gold livery collar completely encircling their shield on coat of arms. The honor continues to exist as an inactive institution awaiting potential future revival. No new knights have been appointed since the death of the final recipient in 2019.
Common questions
When was the Order of the Golden Spur founded by Charles IV?
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, founded the Order of the Golden Spur on the 15th of August 1357 in Prague. This specific date marked the beginning of what would become the Order of the Golden Spur.
Who received the Order of the Golden Spur for painting an equestrian portrait of the emperor?
Titian received the Order of the Golden Spur in 1533 after painting an equestrian portrait of the emperor. The order was granted to those in the pontifical government and artists whom the pope thought deserving of reward.
What happened to the Order of the Golden Spur when Grand Duke Jean died in 2019?
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg died on the 23rd of April 2019 at the age of ninety-eight and his passing marked the end of active membership within the Order of the Golden Spur. There are no living members of the order following his death and the order is now considered dormant by historians and Vatican officials alike.
How did Pope Pius X divide the Order of the Golden Spur in 1905?
Pope Pius X divided the order into two separate entities on the 7th of February 1905 during his motu proprio Multum ad excitandos. One part took the name of Order of St. Sylvester while the other retained the older name of the Order of the Golden Spur.
Why did the reputation of the Order of the Golden Spur decline by the mid-18th century?
The order was given out liberally upon payment of a small fee which damaged its reputation significantly by the mid-18th century. Members of the Curia, prelates, and papal nuncios had the privilege of nominating recipients for decades.