Becov Chateau is one of the most popular attractions in the Carlsbad Region. Within the 13th-century castle and 18th-century chateau you’ll discover some exquisite chateau interiors as well as the unique reliquary of St Maurus, widely regarded as an object of European significance and one of the most important pieces of jewellery work anywhere. After the crown jewels this is the second most valuable object in the entire Czech Republic.

The St. Maurus reliquary is a unique Romanesque reliquary that is permanently exhibited in a town Becov nad Teplou in the western part of the Czech Republic. The reliquary was originally created in the 13^th century in order to hold the skeletal remains of St. Maurus, St. John the Baptist and St. Timothy. It is a large case or a casket in a shape of a house with a wooden structure covered with silver plates, it consists of 12 small statues of saints and is decorated with Romanesque metalwork ornamentations and a number of precious gems. It is worth mentioning the person of St. Maurus, although there is not much of reliable information about his life, it is sure that he was a martyr living in the first or third centuries AD. When Becov nad Teplou castle owner Alfred de Beaufort bought the reliquary in 1838 from a church in Belgium- it was originally made for a Benedictine abbey in Belgium, he brought it to Becov nad Teplou and had it repaired. When his grandson had to flee the country in 1945 because he had collaborated with the Nazis, he hid the reliquary in a backfill of a chapel in Becov Castle. The reliquary has remained hidden for 40 years and was found in November in 1985 by criminologists. There were some attempts of buying it but the Czechs refused to sell it, not wanting it to leave the country. The reliquary was first displayed to the public at the exhibition at Prague Castle in 2000, but at that time it has not been fully restored. Finally in 2002 it became a part of a long-term exhibition and is exhibited in a blue dining hall in Becov nad Teplou castle.

For more information about the Karlovy Vary Region where this place is located click here.