7/12/16 Report - Queen Isabella Farnese and Her Jewels. Wedding Coins.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of TreasureBeachesReport.blogspot.com.

Philip V and Queen Isabella.

Warren D. wrote today and mentioned that this is the 250th anniversary of the death of Queen Elisabeth (anglicized version of Isabella) and pointed out that we are still looking for the jewels that were being sent to her on the 1715 Fleet that sank on the Treasure Coast.  He asked if there are any "specifics" about the "Queen's jewels" or "Dowry" or if anyone had a complete list.

This seems like a good time to remind you of my 10/10/15 post that discussed a little about las arras matrimoniales, which would normally include 13 gold coins in an ornate box.  In the case of Queen Farnese, I'm pretty sure those would be the finest imaginable and would include royals in a gold box.

Here is the link to that post.

http://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/search?q=farnese

And here is a link to a book entitled Elisabeth Farnese,"the Termagant of Spain," written by Armstrong Edward.

https://archive.org/details/elisabethfarnes00armsgoog

The queen said she wouldn't consummate the marriage until she received the gifts.  She had several children, so apparently consummated the marriage despite the sinking of the 1715 Fleet. What part of it might have been salvaged, I don't know.  She might have accepted replacements, but I'm sure, one way or another, she received some amazing trinkets.

As Spanish explorers spread their customs around the world, the las arras matrimoniales ceremony became an integral part of the marriage vows in many cultures. 

Currently For Sale On The Internet For Las Arras.

The ornate box shown above is plated.  I'm sure the box meant for Queen Fornese was not plated. 

Notice the thirteen coins, which is the custom.  The number 13 carries multiple meanings.  

The origin of this custom can be traced back to a time when a piece of silver or gold was broken in half whenever a pledge was made.  During the wedding, the groom and bride took half of the broken coin.  The custom evolved over the centuries and the coin became a symbol of the groom's commitment to provide for his new family.

Generally, the symbolic gesture communicates the couple's trust in each other to share the responsibility of managing the household finances. The groom makes a pledge to provide for his family while the bride vows to honor the blessings God has put into their lives.

Presented to the groom by an honored padrinos or madrinas (godparent) and blessed by the priest, the coins are a good luck token and a sign of prosperity.  It is also said that each coin represents continued prosperity for each month of the year, with a little extra to spare. Additionally, the odd number is not dividable, just as a strong marriage should be. be without money. 

Since the tradition is deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, the coins also symbolize Jesus and his 12 apostles.

After the arras blessing, the priest passes the coins to the bride, who places them in the groom's cupped hands. The groom then pours them back into the bride's cupped hands and places the box on top.

The back and forth exchange symbolizes the couple's commitment to sharing their life together, for richer or poorer. In some cultures, the coins are presented one at a time to represent love, trust, commitment, respect, joy, happiness, harmony, wisdom, nurturing, caring, cooperation and peace.

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Nothing new with the weather or beach conditions.

Happy hunting, 

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/10/15 Report - Queen's Jewels And The 1715 Plate Fleet. Queen Isabella. Las Arras.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

You've heard of the Queen's Jewels I'm sure, but have you heard of Isabella Farnese?  Sometimes she is referred to as Elizabeth, which is an anglicized version of Isabella.  Isabella married Philip V and became the real mover behind the throne.

One book about Isabella was written by Edward Armstrong in 1892.  The title of the book is Termagant of Spain.  Termagant is defined as a harsh-tempered or over-bearing woman.  That is NOT how Isabella was advertised to Philip, who married her by proxy after Queen Maria Luisa passed away.

Here is the link to Armstrong's book. It provides a lot of history - mostly after 1715.

https://archive.org/details/elisabethfarnes00armsgoog

Here is what Wikipedia says about the marriage of Isabella to Philip V.

Shortly after the death of Queen Maria Luisa in 1714, the King decided to marry again. His second wife was Elisabeth of Parma, daughter of Odoardo Farnese, hereditary Prince of Parma, and Dorothea Sophie of the Palatinate.  At the age of twenty-one, on 24 December 1714, she was married by proxy in Parma.  The marriage was arranged by Cardinal Alberoni with the concurrence of the Princesse des Ursins, the Camarera Mayor ("chief of the household") of the king of Spain.

Lost Histories, a book by Joel Levy written in 2006, says the following.

Did you catch that?  She was married on Dec. 24,  1714, but refused to consummate the marriage until she received her dowry, which was being sent in eight chests on the Capitana.

I was thinking about the nine eight-escudo royals that were found this summer, and I wondered about their purpose and why so many were found together.  Then I learned about the Spanish marriage tradition of las arras.

Here is what wikipedia says about that.

Las arras, or Las arras matrimoniales (English: arrhae, wedding tokens, or unity coins^[1]) are wedding paraphernalia used in Christian wedding ceremonies in Spain, Latin American countries, and the Philippines. The tradition is also followed, with varying names and customs, in countries and communities bearing degrees of Hispanic influence.^[2] Traditionally, in Spain and Latin America, it is made up of thirteen gold coins^[1][3] presented in an ornate box or chest; in the Philippines, it is in an ornate basket or pouch.^[1][3] After being blessed by a priest, they are given or presented by the groom to the bride.  (Links in this paragraph are not active.)

Marriage Customes of the World: An Encyclopedia of Dating Customs and Wedding Traditions, by George Monger, 2013, says the following.

If the nine royals were part of las arras, then there should be four more of them.  Or maybe those royals had nothing to do with Isabella Farnese at all.

Fine gold coins were also sometimes given as earnest money in business relationships too.

It is nothing more than wild speculation without any convincing evidence to support it, but I can't think of any better reason for so many remarkable royals being together than a queen's dowry. I'm sure that Isabella would have demanded and received only the very finest.

If her dowry went down with the 1715 Fleet, was it salvaged and returned to her, or was there a substitute.  There is a lot more research to do, but I feel pretty sure that Isabella received an impressive dowry of some sort before consummating the marriage.

I haven't come to any conclusions but learned a lot in the process.  Maybe I'll find out more about Isabella's dowry and what happened to it.

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The surf is down some now and will be decreasing for the next few days, down to around one foot by Wednesday.  Then the prediction is for it to increase again.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net