Order of the Golden Militia

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The Order of the Golden Militia / Order of the Golden Spur is a Papal order of knighthood conferred upon those who have rendered distinguished service in propagating the Catholic Faith, or who have contributed to the glory of the Church, either by feat of arms, writings, or other illustrious acts. It is one of the oldest papal orders, and its membership is restricted to one hundred throughout the world. In 1841 it was absorbed into the Order of Saint Sylvester but Pius X restored it to the status of a separate order and placed it under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin. The decoration consists of an eight-pointed, yellow, enamelled gold cross in whose center is a small white medal on one side of which is the word Maria, and on the other the year MDCCV and Pius X Restituit, and which is suspended from a white-bordered red ribbon. The badge, which is worn on the left breast, is the cross upon the rays of a silver star. The official uniform is a red tunic decorated with gilt buttons, black velvet collar and cuffs embroidered in gold, black trousers with gold side stripes, epaulettes, gold spurs, oblong two-peaked hat trimmed with gold and bearing the papal colors, and a sword.

In ecclesiastical heraldry, individuals awarded this Order may depict a Collar completely encircling the shield on their coat of arms.^[1]

[edit] Notable Receivers

Palla Strozzi, Florentine noble.
Ventura Salimbeni (1568-1613), Sienese Mannerist painter.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 18th century classical composer.
Christoph Willibald Gluck, 18th century classical composer.
Giacomo Casanova, 18th century adventurer.
Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the only living knight.

[edit] References

^ Noonan, Jr., James-Charles (1996). The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church. Viking, p.196. ISBN 0-670-86745-4.