Order of Saint Januarius, Knight's Cross
CATEGORY: Version
SKU: 01.ITA.0112.102.01.001
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The badge is a gold Maltese cross, enamelled red with white edges; with gold lilies in the angles. The obverse centre presents a figure of St. Januarius, patron of Naples, in a red robe and hat, with an open book in the left hand. The reverse has an open book and two vases partially filled with the blood of this Saint.
The Order was instituted by King Charles of Sicily to commemorate his marriage to the Princess Amelia, of Poland.
The recipients of the Order were Roman Catholics, and they were personally chosen by the reigning Monarch of Siciliy. The number of recipients was originally capped at 60, but that restriction was eliminated later in the Order’s history.
The Knights of the Order were meant to always uphold loyalty to the King, and defend the integrity of Catholicism.
The Knights of this Order were given the title Knight of Justice or Knight of Honour. The Knights of Justice were required to trace their aristocratic lineage back four generations. While the Knights of Honour were only considered honourary members of the Order because they could not trace their lineage back four generations.
There is no difference in the design, size, or composition of the awards conferred upon the two different types of Knight.
The Order was abolished with the unification of the Italian Kingdom in 1860.
The Knight Cross features a variety of possible design features, including differences in composition, size, and inscription.
The later examples of the Knight Cross feature an inscription on the obverse reading "IN SANGUINE FOEDUS."
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