The Romanesque Reliquary of Saint Maurus is the region’s most important monument (a national cultural monument) and, after the Czech Crown Jewels, the most precious example of medieval jewellery craftsmanship in the Czech Republic.
The Reliquary of Saint Maurus was made during the first third of the 13th century for the Benedictine monastery in Florennes, in present-day Belgium. It was intended to hold the remains of Saint Maurus, Saint Timothy, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Apollinaris. After the monastery was dissolved during the French Revolution, the reliquary was acquired by Alfred de Beaufort-Spontin. Following its repair, he had it transported to his residence in Bečov. After the end of World War II, when the Beaufort family was leaving Bečov, they secretly buried the reliquary beneath the floor of the castle chapel, where it remained for forty years. In 1985, the reliquary was finally found, although in very poor condition. The demanding restoration of this precious and unique monument of European significance took eleven full years. You can see the reliquary and its related exhibition at Bečov Castle as part of the first and third tour circuits.
