Habsburg treasures go on display

The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) will have an exhibition displaying prestigious jewels from the Habsburgs.

The exhibition is called Hidden Treasure: A Century of Mystery and will reveal a story with strong connections to Québec.

Empress Zita of Austria (born Zita of Bourbon-Parma) found refuge in Québec in October 1940. She and her husband, Emperor Charles I, had gone into exile at the end of the First World War, and he died on 1 April 1922 on Madeira. When the Second World War broke out, Zita fled from the Nazis and ended up at the Villa Saint -Joseph in Sillery (Québec). She had travelled with a set of jewels that she kept hidden for decades.

Those jewels are now on public display for the first time. The 15 jewels include the legendary 137-carat Florentine Diamond.

“Quebec is proud to share this extraordinary story with the public and to welcome to the MNBAQ a collection of remarkable historical significance. Bringing these treasures to light creates a striking dialogue between heritage, memory and human resilience,” said Mathieu Lacombe, Quebec’s Minister of Culture and Communications.

“In 1940, Québec and Canada welcomed the Habsburg family during a time of great uncertainty. That generosity left a deep impression on the family and has never been forgotten. More than 80 years later, it is deeply moving to see this story continue in Québec and to be able, in turn, to share these treasures with  the public. We are proud to help preserve them and pass on their story to future generations,” said Andrew Molson, trustee of the Saint Joseph Trust.

“The city of Québec offered my family safety, respect, and hope during a time of great uncertainty. Showing these jewels at the Musée is an
expression of profound gratitude to Québec and Canada for welcoming and sheltering my grandmother and her eight children during World War II,” explained Empress Zita’s grandson Karl von Habsburg.

“We are incredibly proud to be presenting Hidden Treasure: A Century of Mystery at the Musée, given the jewels’ close ties to the history of the city of Québec, where they were kept in secret for decades. For the very first time, we are inviting the public to see these extraordinary masterpieces of European jewellery, whose brilliance, elegance, and story echo through history,” said Musée national des beaux -arts du Québec Director General Jean -Luc Murray.

Hidden Treasure: A Century of Mystery is open now.