Church treasury

Such "treasure" is usually held and displayed in the church's treasury or in a diocesan museum.

As a result of gifts and the desire to acquire sacred artifacts, many churches over the centuries gathered valuable and historic collections of altar plates, illuminated manuscripts of liturgical or religious books, as well as vestments, and other works of art or items of historical interest.

Despite iconoclasm, secularism, looting, fire, the enforced sale of treasure in times of financial difficulty, theft and other losses, much of this treasure has survived or has even been repurchased.

Many large churches have been displaying their riches to visitors in some form for centuries.

Austria: Belgium: Czech Republic: England: France: Germany: Italy: Netherlands: Portugal: Spain: Switzerland:

Trier Cathedral Treasury
Burgundian ronde-bosse enamel brooch in the Essen treasury. The Essen treasure contains sixteen of these rare pieces of jewelry from the 14th century.
Reliquary from the abandoned altars of the East Choir in Essen Minster, dating from 1054