Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral explained

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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Část chrámu pořád patří církvi. www.lidovky.cz. 20 February 2007 . Lidové noviny. 13 February 2015. Czech. Metropolitní kapitula u sv. Víta vlastní veškeré obrazy, svícny, oltáře, náhrobky, sochařskou výzdobu chrámu, ale i takzvaný Svatovítský poklad..
  2. Web site: The Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral. www.kulturanahrade.cz. Prague Castle. 13 February 2015.
  3. Web site: Poklad od svatého Víta. www.nase-rodina.cz. Naše rodina. 13 February 2015. Czech.