Reliquary of St. Maurus

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St. Maurus reliquary is a Romanesque reliquary exhibited in the castle of Bečov nad Teplou, the Czech Republic. It was created for the monastery of Florennes (Belgium) in the late 13th century to hold the relics of St. Maurus, St. John the Baptist and St. Timothy. The wooden core is covered with gilded silver plate with many statuettes, reliefs, filigrees and gems. After the sacking of Florennes the reliquary was placed in the local church and then bought by Duke Alfred de Beaufort. He transported it to Bečov in 1888. The house of Beaufort cooperated with the Nazi Party during World War II and was forced to leave the country after the war. The reliquary was discovered by Czech criminalists on November 5, 1985 after a one year search in the cache under the floor in the castle chapel.