Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral

Reliquary bust of St. Adalbert of Prague, c. 1500

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

Nostic Plentary / Trier table
  • 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 St. Wenceslas
  • 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...

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ a b "The Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral". www.kulturanahrade.cz. Prague Castle. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Poklad od svatého Víta". www.nase-rodina.cz (in Czech). Naše rodina. Retrieved 13 February 2015.

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