The Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral (Czech: Svatovítský poklad) is a collection of ecclesiastical treasures of the Prague Cathedral and is in the property of Prague Cathedral Chapter.[1] It is the largest church treasury in the Czech Republic and one of the most extensive in Europe.[2] The Treasure contains more than 400 items, 139 from them have been displayed since 2012 in a new exhibition in the Chapel of the Holy Rood in Prague Castle.[3]
The Treasury includes many holy relics and reliquaries. Famous are the Sword of Saint Wenceslas or Coronation Cross of Bohemia. One of the oldest items in the Treasury is a relic of the arm of Saint Vitus, acquired by Czech Duke Wenceslas (Saint) in 929 from German king Henry the Fowler. Duke Wenceslas built a new church to preserve this relic in honor of Saint Vitus – today St. Vitus Cathedral. The Cathedral and its treasury was richly donated by many rulers, e. g. by Emperor Charles IV or King Vladislaus II.[2]
The Artifacts
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- Sword of Saint Wenceslas
- Helmet of St. Wenceslas
So called "staff of St. Procopius" - The so-called Comb of St. Adalbert (carving in ivory)
- Two rings of St. Adalbert
- Skull of St. Wenceslas (used for the cult, not on display)
- Skull of Saint Ludmila (used for the cult)
- Reliquary with a fragment of the staff of Moses
- Nostic Plenary, or Trier Tablet
- Reliquary with the finger of Saint Nicholas
- Silver reliquary bust of Saint Ludmila
- Czech Coronation Jewels (Saint Wenceslas Crown, Renaissance Scepter and Renaissance Apple)
- The golden so-called Coronation Cross of Charles IV. with precious stones, gems, and relics of many saints
- Crystal altar cross in gold mounting
St.Nicolas Finger reliquary - The Last Supper Tablecloth Crystal Teapot (displayed empty)
- Crystal bowl with veil of the Virgin Mary in gold mounting
- Tower reliquary of St. Catherine
- Tower reliquary with Parler's mark in label
- The reliquary arm of St. George
- Onyx chalice in gold = mounting, with the coat of arms of Emperor Charles IV.
- Veraikon of St. Vitus
So called "staff of Moses" - The so-called The veraikon in a gold frame is a copy of the Byzantine mandylion
So called "Piece of table from the last supper" - Panel painting of Madonna Aracoeli
- Ivory casket for the remains of Saint Sigismund
- St. Wenceslas cape with stole
- Miter of Saint Adalbert
- Skull of Saint Luke the Evangelist (not on display)
- Arm with reliquary of Saint Barbara in palm
- Arms of Saint Ludmila in a Gothic reliquary
- Kolovrat Plenary from 1465
- Bust of Saint Adalbert
Kolowraty plentary - Bust of Saint Vitus
- Bust of Saint Anne the Third
- Arms of Saint Wenceslas in a late Gothic reliquary
- Renaissance monstrance of gems, jaspers and crystal,
- A set of gold Rudolphine jewelry
- Reliquary chest from the tomb of St. Wenceslas
- Reliquary for the tongue of St. John of Nepomuk (not on display)
- Mitra preciosa of Cardinal Arnošt Harrach
- Solar monstrance of Jan Ignác Dlouhoveský
- Sun monstrance diamond
- Silver Christening set of kettle and sink of Prague Archbishop Jan Josef Breuner
- Ferdinand Khünburg's archbishop's scepter with an enamelled Saint Vitus in a medallion
- Capitular gold monstrance
- Reliquary with crossed branches of St. Stephen
- A set of silver shields with relief scenes from the legend of St. John of Nepomuk
- A golden set of chalices with a tray and with the Lobkovic clan emblems
- Monstrance of the French King Charles X.
- Harrach monstrance made of crystal glass
- Gold Rose of Empress Maria Anna Habsburg
- and many more...
Gallery
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Bust Reliquary of St. Ludmila, 14th century -
Arm Reliquary of St. George, late 13th century -
Detail of St. Vitus Reliquary, late 15th century -
Sword of Saint Wenceslas, 10th century -
Glove of St. Adalbert, 12th–14th century -
Coronation Cross of Bohemia -
st. catherine reliquary -
so called "Staff of st. peter" -
ring of st. adalbert -
miter of st. adalbert -
Palm branch from the Funeral of St. Mary -
Sword of St. Stephen of Hungary
References
edit- ^ "Část chrámu pořád patří církvi". www.lidovky.cz (in Czech). Lidové noviny. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
Metropolitní kapitula u sv. Víta vlastní veškeré obrazy, svícny, oltáře, náhrobky, sochařskou výzdobu chrámu, ale i takzvaný Svatovítský poklad.
- ^ a b "The Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral". www.kulturanahrade.cz. Prague Castle. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "Poklad od svatého Víta". www.nase-rodina.cz (in Czech). Naše rodina. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
External links
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Media related to Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral at Wikimedia Commons