Achurch treasury orchurch treasure is the collection of historical art treasures belonging to achurch, usually acathedral ormonastery (monastery treasure). Such "treasure" is usually held and displayed in the church'streasury or in adiocesan museum. Historically the highlight of church treasures was often a collection ofreliquaries.
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 asvestments, and other works of art or items of historical interest. Despiteiconoclasm,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.
Examples and museums of important church and cathedral treasures
Most cathedrals have treasuries, though these generally lack the medieval metalwork of continental treasuries, which did not survive the Reformation. The exceptions to this include:
