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The Byzantine Princess Mary-Irina Lapapina was forced to leave Constantinople in 927 to go to the village of Veliki Preslav and marry Tsar Peter I. To accept the marriage with the Bulgarian Tsar, she received from her grandfather – The Roman Emperor Lacapin – a real treasure: 640 grams of gold, silver, pearls and precious stones are worth as much as a palace. But was this gift sufficient to blunt the grief of the princess in her country? "Deutsche Welle"
"Over the centuries, Preslav's gold treasure is part of Bulgarian national wealth and bears witness to the golden age that Bulgaria experienced during the first Bulgarian kingdom, we read in a publication of the German newspaper "Die Welt." For the first Bulgarian European Treasury, the treasure was exhibited at the Louvre in Paris, where it will remain until November 5.
Before that, the exhibitions, more than 180, were handed over to the Central Roman-German Museum in the German city of Mainz where they were studied on a project of the Gerda Henkel Foundation using the most modern methods. "This is the only treasure of Byzantine origin in the form of jewelry, which we can definitely determine when it is dated, "says Antie Bosselman-Rukkibi, member of the Foundation project
How did the Byzantine jewels reach Preslav?
Twice as amazing as the Treasure itself is its story, we read in the publication of "Die Welt". When in 971 Preslav was attacked and burned by the Byzantine army, the treasure was hidden somewhere in front of the gates of the capital of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. This is what the 15 silver coins that are part of Preslav's treasure are surely supposed to have been cut in the middle of the 10th century
but how does the treasure reach Preslav? According to Antie Bosselman-Rukkibi, the only point of reference is historical evidence. It is known that in 893 Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I decided to move the capital of his kingdom to Preslav. From there, he almost invades Byzantium and manages to strengthen his country, transforming it into a real regional force that everyone respects. After his death in 927, his son and heir, Peter made peace, that he was affiliated to his marriage to the Byzantine princess Mary, who later accepted the very good name Irina (Greek peace). For Byzantium, it is an important event, especially after so much bloodshed in the wars with the Bulgarians, which explains the generous gift of the Byzantine emperor.
After being hidden from the Byzantine troops who came to Preslav in 971, the treasure remained underground for ten centuries. In 1978, he was accidentally found at a level of 3 km from the present-day town of Preslav – the tractor entrapped him during plowing with a plow and scattered him. The experts who carried out the restoration are categorical that Preslav's treasury items outperformed models of Bulgarian arts and crafts workshops of the same age. Gold necklaces, necklaces, rings, tiles and other ornaments were made by many experienced goldsmiths. Such quantities could only belong to the imperial palace of Constantinople.
To this is added the extremely high value of the ornaments. According to the notes of the eparchial book of the prefects of Constantinople, it is clear that only the treasures cost as much as a "big house" – it is probably an aristocratic palace. Some of the ornaments clearly say that they adorned luxury clothes, most likely made of silk. From the archive books, we also learn that the artisans of the imperial court were allowed to hold at most one gold pennant. From where it follows that many workshops had to be involved in the production of such a quantity of jewelry and golden decorations. And for that to happen quickly, the organization was very bright.
There is no eternal peace
This badumption fits perfectly in the historical context. In 927, King Simeon died while preparing his next military campaign against Byzantium. In the peaceful proposal of his son Petar Constantinople, he sees a chance to secure himself at least on this front. The Roman Emperor Lakapin was eager to provide his granddaughter with everything that was necessary for her marriage to the Bulgarian Tsar.
In Byzantine art works were an important part of diplomacy. For example, thanks to the generosity of donations received, each high-ranking guest could judge of the value that he had in the palace. That the hand of a Byzantine princess was offered to the Bulgarian Tsar Peter I shows that Constantinople considered him a man of the rank of the Emperor. This is confirmed by another historical fact: in 927, the Roman emperor recognized not only the royal title of the Bulgarian rulers, but also recognized the independence of the Bulgarian patriarchate
. All this was not a guarantee of security and peace. Under the reign of Peter I, the inner bizarrets quickly weaken the state and its external enemies intensify their actions. Later, Preslav falls, and Mary-Irina's treasure disappears for 10 centuries
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