query: country cross of justin ii
supports: John the Baptist ("Ioánnes (h)o baptistés" or   , "Ioánnes (h)o baptízon", known as the prophet "Yahya" in the Quran), also known as John the Baptizer, was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the early first century AD. John is revered as a major religious figure in Christianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith, and Mandaeism. He is called a prophet by all of these traditions, and is honoured as a saint in many Christian traditions. Islam (' ;) is a religion articulated by the Quran, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God ('), and, for the vast majority of adherents, the teachings and normative example (called the "sunnah", composed of accounts called "hadith") of Muhammad (5708 June 632 CE). It is the world's second-largest religion and the fastest-growing major religion in the world, with over 1.7 billion followers or 23% of the global population, known as Muslims. Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion that upholds that God is one and incomparable and that the purpose of existence is to worship God. Muslims consider Muhammad to be the last prophet of God. Justinian I  (482 14 November 565), traditionally known as Justinian the Great and also Saint Justinian the Great in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was a Byzantine (East Roman) emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the historical Roman Empire. Justinian's rule constitutes a distinct epoch in the history of the Later Roman empire, and his reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized "renovatio imperii", or "restoration of the Empire". The Cross of Cong ("the yellow baculum") is an early 12th-century Irish Christian ornamented cusped processional cross, which was, as an inscription says, made for Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (d. 1156), King of Connacht and High King of Ireland to donate to the Cathedral church of the period that was located at Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. The cross was subsequently moved to Cong Abbey at Cong, County Mayo, from which it takes its name. It was designed to be placed on top of a staff and is also a reliquary, designed to hold a piece of the purported True Cross. This gave it additional importance as an object of reverence and was undoubtedly the reason for the object's elaborate beauty. A shrine ("case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: "escrin" "box or case") is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated. A shrine at which votive offerings are made is called an altar. Shrines are found in many of the world's religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Shinto, and Asatru as well as in secular and non-religious settings such as a war memorial. Shrines can be found in various settings, such as churches, temples, cemeteries, or in the home, although portable shrines are also found in some cultures. Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who serves as the focal point for the religion. It is the world's largest religion, with over 2.4 billion followers, or 33% of the global population, known as Christians. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of humanity whose coming as the Messiah (the Christ) was prophesied in the Old Testament. The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with more than 1.27 billion members worldwide. As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilisation. Headed by the Bishop of Rome, known as the pope, its doctrines are summarised in the Nicene Creed. The Catholic Church is notable within Western Christianity for its sacred tradition and seven sacraments. Vatican City , officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City, is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of 842, it is the smallest State in the world by both area and population, but formally it is not sovereign, sovereignty being held by the Holy See, the only entity of public international law that has diplomatic relations with almost every country in the world. The Roman Empire (Koine and Medieval Greek:   , tr. ) was the post-Roman Republic period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterized by government headed by emperors and large territorial holdings around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Africa and Asia. The city of Rome was the largest city in the world BC AD, with Constantinople (New Rome) becoming the largest around 500 AD, and the Empire's populace grew to an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world's population at the time). The 500-year-old republic which preceded it was severely destabilized in a series of civil wars and political conflict, during which Julius Caesar was appointed as perpetual dictator and then assassinated in 44 BC. Civil wars and executions continued, culminating in the victory of Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the annexation of Egypt. Octavian's power was then unassailable and in 27 BC the Roman Senate formally granted him overarching power and the new title "Augustus", effectively marking the end of the Roman Republic. The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art in Europe, and at times the Middle East and North Africa. It includes major art movements and periods, national and regional art, genres, revivals, the artists crafts, and the artists themselves. The Indo-European languages are a language family of several hundred related languages and dialects. There are about 445 living Indo-European languages, according to the estimate by "Ethnologue", with over two-thirds (313) of them belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch. The most widely spoken Indo-European languages by native speakers are Spanish, English, Hindustani (Hindi and Urdu), Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, Persian and Punjabi, each with over 100 million speakers. Today, 46% of the human population speaks an Indo-European language natively, by far the highest of any language family. Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of and has a largely temperate seasonal climate and Mediterranean climate; due to its shape, it is often referred to in Italy as "lo Stivale" (the Boot). With 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous EU member state. Latin (Latin: ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. The Latin alphabet is derived from the Etruscan and Greek alphabets. The Cross of Justin II or Crux Vaticana ( Latin for Vatican Cross ) in the Treasury of Saint Peter 's in St. Peter 's Basilica , is a processional cross and also a reliquary of the True Cross , one of the oldest surviving , if not the oldest . It is a crux gemmata or jewelled cross , silver - gilt and adorned with jewels in gold settings , dating from the sixth century , given to the people of Rome by the Roman Emperor Justin II , who reigned from 565 to 578 , and his co-ruler and wife , the Empress Sophia . The cross bears a Latin inscription reading : `` ligno quo Christus humanum subdidit hostem dat Romae Iustinus opem et socia decorem '' which is commonly mistranslated as `` For the wood ( of the cross ) with which human Christ was overcome by the enemy , Justin ( and his consort ? ) give Rome this wealth and decoration '' A more accurate reading is : `` With the wood with which Christ conquered man 's enemy , Justin gives his help to Rome and his wife offers the ornamentation . '' To mark the end of restoration and conservation work on the cross , it was placed on display in the main Basilica of Saint Peter 's from November 2009 to April 12 , 2010 . The original portion of the cross , which is now mounted on a much later stand , is 15.75 inches high and 11.81 inches wide , excluding the spike at the bottom for fitting into its stand . The cross was restored in 2009 ; it has been altered and restored at several points in its history , including reducing its size . The front of the cross has no figurative images : in the centre is a medallion containing the relic , which is itself displayed as cross-shaped . The centres of the arms carry the inscriptions , and the edges of the arms jewels in set in gold , with four jewels hanging from the arms as pendilia . The reverse side is decorated in repoussé silver , and shows an interesting transitional stage in the decoration of the cross . At the period the church was starting to encourage representation of the human figure of Christ on the cross , making a crucifix , which had previously not been usual . The central medallion shows the Lamb of God , a common older formula . Above and below this are images in medallions of Christ ( the lower one may be John the Baptist instead ) . The upper one shows Christ holding a book , representing the Gospels , which was to become a standard feature of the image of Christ Pantocrator ; in the lower one Christ or John has a blessing gesture . At the ends of the arms , where the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist would often be found in later crucifixes , are instead portraits in medallions of Justin and his empress Sophia . Between the medallions there are decorative foliage scrolling motifs , on the upright centred on onion - like plants probably intended as palm - trees . In 569 , Justin and Sophia together reportedly sent a relic of the True Cross to the Frankish princess Radegund , who founded a monastery at Poitiers to house it . The event was commemorated in Vexilla Regis by Venantius Fortunatus . They are also recorded as sending relics to Pope John III ( reigned 561 - 574 ) in an attempt to improve relations -- the Crux Vaticana very likely dates from John 's reign , perhaps around 568 or 569 . Older scholars thought , mainly on the basis of imperial head - dress , that Justin I ( r. 518 - 27 ) and his empress Euphemia were the donors , but this view seems now rejected . The Pontifex Maximus (Latin, literally: "greatest pontiff" or "greatest bridge-builder") was the high priest of the College of Pontiffs ("Collegium Pontificum") in ancient Rome. This was the most important position in the ancient Roman religion, open only to patricians until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post. A distinctly religious office under the early Roman Republic, it gradually became politicized until, beginning with Augustus, it was subsumed into the Imperial office. Its last use with reference to the emperors is in inscriptions of Gratian (reigned 375383) who, however, then decided to omit the words "pontifex maximus" from his title. Although the most influential office within Roman priesthood, the "pontifex maximus" was ranked the fifth in the ranking of the highest Roman priests ("ordo sacerdotum"), behind the "rex sacrorum" and the "flamines maiores" ("Flamen Dialis", "Flamen Martialis", "Flamen Quirinalis"). Rome is a city and special "comune" (named "Roma Capitale") in Italy. Rome is the capital of Italy and of the Lazio region. With 2,870,336 residents in , it is also the country's largest and most populated "comune" and fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome has a population of 4.3 million residents. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of Tiber river. The Vatican City is an independent country geographically located within the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.  Augustus (23 September 63 BC  19 August 14 AD) was the founder of the Roman Principate and considered the first Emperor, controlling the Roman Empire from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. A reliquary (also referred to as a "shrine" or by the French term "châsse") is a container for relics. These may be the purported or actual physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures. The authenticity of any given relic is often a matter of debate; for that reason, some churches require documentation of the relic's provenance. The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period (starting in 27 BC). The emperors used a variety of different titles throughout history. Often when a given Roman is described as becoming "emperor" in English, it reflects his taking of the title "Augustus" or "Caesar". Another title often used was "imperator", originally a military honorific. Early Emperors also used the title "princeps" (first citizen). Emperors frequently amassed republican titles, notably "Princeps Senatus", "Consul" and "Pontifex Maximus". The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart. The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Catholic Church tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. Lamb of God ("Amnos tou Theou") is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at , where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The Italian Renaissance was the earliest manifestation of the general European Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement that began in Italy during the 14th century and lasted until the 16th century, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. The term Renaissance is in essence a modern one that came into currency in the 19th century, in the work of historians such as Jules Michelet and Jacob Burckhardt. Although the origins of a movement that was confined largely to the literate culture of intellectual endeavor and patronage can be traced to the earlier part of the 14th century, many aspects of Italian culture and society remained largely Medieval; the Renaissance did not come into full swing until the end of the century. The French word "renaissance" ("Rinascimento" in Italian) means "Rebirth", and the era is best known for the renewed interest in the culture of classical antiquity after the period that Renaissance humanists labeled the Dark Ages. A processional cross is a crucifix or cross which is carried in Christian processions. Such crosses have a long history: the Gregorian mission of Saint Augustine of Canterbury to England carried one before them "like a standard", according to Bede. Other sources suggest that all churches were expected to possess one. They became detachable from their staffs, so that the earliest altar crosses were processional crosses placed on a stand at the end of the procession. In large churches the "crux gemmata", or richly jewelled cross in precious metal, was the preferred style. Notable early examples include the Cross of Justin II (possibly a hanging votive cross originally), Cross of Lothair, and Cross of Cong. Silver-gilt or gilded/gilt silver, sometimes known in American English by the French term vermeil, is silver gilded with gold. Most large objects made in goldsmithing that appear to be gold are actually silver-gilt; for example most sporting trophies, medals (such as "gold medals" in all Olympic Games after 1912), and many crown jewels. Apart from being much cheaper than gold, large silver-gilt objects are also much lighter if required to be lifted, and stronger. Compared to plain silver, for delicate objects like the Nef (illustrated), or those with much intricate detail like monstrances, gilding greatly reduced the need for cleaning and polishing, and so reduced the risk of damage to them. The "gold" threads used in embroidered goldwork are normally also silver-gilt. The Cross of Lothair or Lothair Cross is a "crux gemmata" (jewelled cross) processional cross dating from about 1000 AD, though its base dates from the 14th century. It was made in Germany, probably at Cologne. It is an outstanding example of medieval goldsmith's work, and "an important monument of imperial ideology", forming part of the Aachen Cathedral Treasury, which includes several other masterpieces of sacral Ottonian art. The measurements of the original portion are 50 cm height, 38.5 cm width, 2.3 cm depth. The cross comes from the period when Ottonian art was evolving into Romanesque art, and the engraved crucifixion on the reverse looks forward to the later period. Justin II (c. 520  5 October 578) was Eastern Roman Emperor from 565 to 574. He was the husband of Sophia, nephew of Justinian I and the Empress Theodora, and was therefore a member of the Justinian Dynasty. His reign is marked by war with Sasanian Iran and the loss of the greater part of Italy. He presented the Cross of Justin II to Saint Peter's, Rome. The Justinian Dynasty is a family who ruled over the Byzantine Empire from 518 to 602. It originated with Justin I and ended with Maurice. Patriarch Germanus I of Constantinople (term c. 715  730), whose father was named Justinian, might have been a descendant of the dynasty. The names Justin, Justinian and Germanus were common among dynasty members. The Latin word imperator was originally a title roughly equivalent to "commander" under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part of the titulature of the Roman Emperors as part of their cognomen. The English word "emperor" derives from "imperator" via Old French "Empereür". The Roman emperors themselves generally based their authority on multiple titles and positions, rather than preferring any single title. Nevertheless, "imperator" was used relatively consistently as an element of a Roman ruler's title throughout the principate (derived from "princeps," from which "prince" in English is derived) and the dominate. A crux gemmata (Latin for: jewelled cross) is a form of cross typical of Early Christian and Early Medieval art, where the cross, or at least its front side, is principally decorated with jewels. In an actual cross, rather than a painted image of one, the reverse side often has engraved images of the Crucifixion of Jesus or other subjects. Bede ( 672/3  26 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable, was an English, Roman Catholic monk at the monastery of St. Peter and its companion monastery of St. Paul in the Kingdom of Northumbria of the Angles (contemporarily MonkwearmouthJarrow Abbey in Tyne and Wear, England). He is well known as an author and scholar, and his most famous work, "Ecclesiastical History of the English People" gained him the title "The Father of English History". The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, or simply St. Peter's Basilica, is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave within the city of Rome.
candidates: ancient rome austria byzantine empire chinese egypt england european union france germany hindi iran ireland italian republic italy lazio middle east north africa roman empire roman republic san marino vatican city world worldwide
answer: vatican city