It was allegedly gifted by Pope Gregory I to Theodelinda, Queen of the Lombards, who donated it to the Church upon her death in 628.

Afterwards, the crown would have been used for the coronation of the Lombard kings and of Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, when he took the throne of Lombardy in 774.

Regardless of origin, the crown is crafted of six hinged plates of gold, set with precious gems, and held together with a circlet structure of white metal underneath.

During his continued expansion of power, Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Italy in much the same manner as Charlemagne.

With the eventual end of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the original order ceased to exist.