Napoleon was crowned King of Italy in 1805 with an ancient 1,300-year-old crown
Napoleon Bonaparte reached the height of his European influence in 1805 when he placed a legendary medieval crown upon his own head, declaring himself the sovereign ruler of a new Italian kingdom.
On May 26, 1805, Napoleon was crowned King of Italy inside the magnificent Milan Cathedral. To cement his legitimacy, he used the Iron Crown of Lombardy, a 1,300-year-old relic said to contain a nail from the True Cross used during the crucifixion of Jesus.
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