The True Story Behind This 12th Century Legendary Sword In The Stone Of San Galgano
The Legendary Sword in the Stone of San Galgano is a medieval sword buried in a stone at the Montesiepi Chapel in Tuscany, Italy. This, however, is not a reference to King Arthur’s mythology, but rather to the true story of a saint.
One of the most well-known British tales is that of King Arthur with his stone sword. According to tradition, King Arthur defeated the Saxons and established an empire that comprised Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and Norway. The knights sat at a round table with no headboard, symbolizing equality for everyone. They were the individuals who won the highest Order of Cavalry at court.
According to tradition, the Excalibur was a magical sword carved into a rock by an ancient monarch and could only be retrieved by the ruler of Great Britain. Many others tried unsuccessfully to sway her, but none were successful. When Arthur emerged, he was able to pull it out with ease. He was subsequently crowned and elevated to the throne as a result of this.
Montesiepi Chapel is a chapel in Montesiepi, Italy.
From afar, the Montesiepi Chapel on the mountaintop. The “sword in the stone” is the primary attraction. Flikr is a photo-sharing website.
A similar, but lesser-known, the narrative may be found in a church in rural Chiusdino, a tiny town in the province of Siena, Italy’s Tuscany region, which many credits as the basis of British mythology. The Bishop of Volterra ordered the Montesiepi Chapel to be erected in 1183. It is distinguished by a brick-based spherical design.
Both dome walls bear a symbology that harkens back to Etruscans, Celts, and even Templars. The “sword in the stone” is embedded in the stone and covered by a fiberglass dome. This chapel was created in commemoration of San Galgano and is embellished with an abundance of cryptic symbols and decorations that connect to the solar calendar. Its primary feature is the “sword in the stone.”
Guidotti Galgano
Indeed, the church’s history is intertwined with that of a knight, Galgano Guidotti, who buried his sword in a stone, intending to use it as a cross for prayer, and made a vow to God that he would never again lift his weapon against anyone, and then lived as a hermit for eleven months in the deepest of devotion and humility.
Galgano came from an aristocratic family and was noted for his arrogance and frivolity throughout his youth. Over time, he became aware of his way of life and felt a sense of emptiness for not having a purpose in life. Galgano’s extreme conversion occurred in 1180, when he was 32 years old when he saw the Archangel Michael, who is typically depicted as a warrior saint.
The angel appeared to Galgano and showed him the road to redemption, according to one version of the narrative. Galgano chose the next day to become a hermit and live in a cave in the area, much to his mother’s dismay. His friends and family believed he was insane and attempted unsuccessfully to persuade him of the notion.
His mother advised him to first go to his fiancée and inform her of his plans. She hoped the bride’s opinion would shift as well. When his horse passes Montesiepi, it abruptly comes to a halt and stands on its hind legs, knocking Galgano to the ground. This was viewed by him as a divine warning. A second vision told him to give up worldly possessions.
Galgano questioned the Angel Michael, claiming that giving up material possessions would be more difficult when sharing a stone with a sword, and to show his point, he cut a nearby stone with his sword, which opened up like butter to his amazement. Galgano died a year later, in 1185, and the Pope proclaimed him a saint four years later. St. Galgano’s sword has been kept as a relic.
The sword was assumed to be a counterfeit for decades until a survey in 2001 confirmed that it was a genuine piece with the metal composition and style of a sword from the 12th century BC.
A cavity measuring 2 meters by 1 meter was discovered beneath the stone with the sword, which is most likely the knight’s remains, according to ground penetration radar.
Carbon testing has indicated that two mummified hands recovered in the Montesiepi church originate from the 12th century. Anyone who attempted to remove the sword was said to have their hands severed.
