Blood of Jesus Christ (military order)

Religious military order

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Order of the Redeemer

Awarded by Vincenzo I Gonzaga
Type| Dynastic Order
Motto| Domine probasti me, Nihil hoc triste recepto
Awarded for| military and civil services
Status| Currently constituted
Duke of Mantua
Grades| One
Statistics
First induction| Francesco IV Gonzaga
Last induction| Michele Sagramosi
Total inductees| 104 knights
Precedence
Next (lower)| Order of the Immaculate Conception

Riband of the Order of the Redeemer

Blood of Jesus Christ, or Blood of Christ, was a military order instituted at Mantua by Vincenzo I Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, approved on 25 May 1608 by Pope Paul V. The motto of the order was Domine probasti me, or that Nihil hoc triste recepto. Jean Hermant speaks of the order and observes that it took its name from drops of the blood of Jesus, said to have been preserved in Saint Andrew's Basilica in Mantua. Their number was restricted to twenty besides the Grand Master; the office whereof was attached to himself and his successors.

There was also a congregation of nuns in Paris, France, called Blood of Jesus Christ, reformed from the Cistercians.

## History

[edit]

Coin of Francesco II Gonzaga showing the heraldic badge of a Melting Pot, circumscribed by the Latin motto DOMINE PROBASTI ET COGNOVISTI ME ("O Lord thou hast searched me and known me") (Psalm 139:1)[1]

Vincenzo I Gonzaga was a member of the chivalry equestrian order of Toson d'Oro. He had been given the honour of being part of this order of knighthood by the Grand Master Philip the second, King of Spain in 1589 after paying the enormous amount of 300,000 golden escudos. Not yet happy with that, he decided to fund his own equestrian order named "of the Redeemer" or " del Preziosissimo Lateral Sangue di Cristo", after the relic of the Holy Blood of Christ kept in Mantua. He took this decision, during the luxurious celebrations organized during the wedding of his first born son and heir and the Princess of the Savoy family. That new equestrian order was to represent the spirit of brotherhood. Its distinctive feature was a collar with golden medals chained one to the other. The medals showed two symbols alternatively: one medal showed the device of the melting pot surrounded by flames, where some golden bars were being melted while the other was decorated by the letters D.P., initial letters of the motto DOMINE PROBASTI ET COGNOVISTI ME taken from Psalm 139:1 ("O Lord thou hast searched me and known me"). Jesus of Nazareth. There was a pendant hanging from the collar, too. It was a golden medal showing two angels holding a reliquary with three drops of Christ's blood in it. The medal had the motto NIHIL ISTO TRISTE RECEPTO on it.

The members of this equestrian order used to wear vivid red outfits, wide in shape and long to the ground. The dress was then topped by a coat in the same colour with little flames scattered all over thus making their attire very remarkable and striking.

Today the head of the House of Gonzaga-Vescovato is Prince Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga Vescovato and he is Grand Master of the Order of the Redeemer. The House of Gonzaga-Vescovato is the only branch of the Gonzaga dynasty that is still extant.

## Insignia

[edit]

Its distinctive feature was a collar with golden medals chained one to the other. The medals showed two symbols alternatively: one medal showed the device of the melting pot surrounded by flames where some golden bars were being melted, while the other was decorated by the letters D.P., initial letters of the motto DOMINE PROBASTI ET COGNOVISTI ME taken from Psalm 139:1 ("O Lord thou hast searched me and known me"). The badge of the Order, made of gold, hanged from this collar and showed two angels holding a reliquary with three drops of Christ's blood in it. The medal had the motto NIHIL ISTO TRISTE RECEPTO on it.

The members of this equestrian order used to wear vivid red outfits, wide in shape and long to the ground. The dress was then topped by a coat in the same colour with little flames scattered all lover thus making their attire very remarkable and striking.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ See Palazzo Te, Florence, Chamber of the Device [1]

* List of Knight of Order

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. `{{cite encyclopedia}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)

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Orders of the Italian States before the Unification of Italy (1871)

Kingdom of
Sardinia|

* Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
* Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
* Military Order of Savoy
* Civil Order of Savoy

Republic
of Genoa|

* Military Order of Saint George (Red-coloured cross)

Kingdom of
Lombardy–Venetia
(Austrian orders)|

* Order of the Golden Fleece
* Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary
* Military Order of Maria Theresa
* Order of the Iron Crown
* Order of Leopold
* Order of Franz Joseph
* Order of the Starry Cross
* Order of Elizabeth and Theresa

Republic of Venice|

* Order of Saint Mark
* Order of the Golden Stole
* Company of the Hose

Duchy of Lucca|

* Order of Saint George for Military Merit
* Order of Saint Louis for Civil Merit

Duchy of Parma|

* Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
* Order of Saint Louis for Civil Merit

Duchy of
Modena
and Reggio|

* Order of the Eagle of Este
* Cross of Seniority of Service

Grand Duchy
of Tuscany|

* Order of Saint Stephen
* Order of Saint Joseph
* Order of the Civil and Military Merit

Papal States|

| Holy See|

* Supreme Order of Christ
* Order of the Golden Spur
* Order of Pope Pius IX
* Order of St. Gregory the Great
* Order of St. Sylvester

|

Protected by
the Holy See|

* Order of the Holy Sepulchre
* Teutonic Order

See also|

* Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Kingdom of
the Two Sicilies|

* Order of Saint Januarius
* Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
* Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit
* Royal Order of the Two-Sicilies
* Order of Saint George of the Reunion
* Royal Order of Francis I

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