Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral

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

• Sword of Saint Wenceslas
• Helmet of St. Wenceslas

  

• 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

  

• 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

  

• The so-called The veraikon in a gold frame is a copy of the Byzantine mandylion

  

• 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

• 

  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...

Gallery

• 
  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

External links

Media related to Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral at Wikimedia Commons