Bečov nad Teplou Chateau

Bečov nad Teplou Chateau stands on the same hill as the older Gothic castle nearby, yet it is an entirely separate building with its own story. Built in the early 18th century on the foundations of a former artillery bastion, the Baroque-Classicist chateau added a kitchen wing and terraced gardens to the hilltop complex. Its true claim to fame, though, has little to do with architecture: for decades the chateau held one of the finest surviving pieces of Romanesque goldwork in Central Europe, hidden away and all but forgotten.

How did the chateau end up with the Beaufort-Spontin family?

In 1813 the Bečov estate was bought by Friedrich August Beaufort-Spontin, who saw a safer future for his family in Austria than in revolution-shaken France or Belgium. His son, Alfred Beaufort-Spontin, later carried out major repairs to the chateau and drew up ambitious plans for a Romantic-style rebuilding of the adjoining medieval fortress on the same hill. In 1838 Alfred also purchased a piece that would tie the family's name to art history for good: the reliquary of Saint Maur, bought from a church.

What makes the reliquary of Saint Maur so significant?

The reliquary is a Romanesque masterpiece created in the first third of the 13th century. It ranks as the second most valuable movable monument in the Czech Republic, after the Bohemian crown jewels, and as the single most important piece of Romanesque goldsmith work found on Czech territory. For over a century it stayed in the Beaufort-Spontin family's possession, kept inside the chateau's own chapel.

Why did the reliquary disappear for forty years?

In 1945, facing expulsion from Czechoslovakia, the Beaufort-Spontin family hid the reliquary under the floor of the chateau chapel. It stayed there, undiscovered, for the next four decades — known only from older records and descriptions. Czech authorities finally located it in 1985, a find still regarded as one of the most significant art-historical discoveries of 20th-century Czechoslovakia. A lengthy restoration followed between 1991 and 2002, after which the reliquary went back on public display in the very building where it had once been concealed.

What can visitors see at the chateau today?

Alongside a dedicated exhibition on the reliquary's history and craftsmanship, the chateau preserves its Baroque-Classicist interiors and the terraced gardens laid out during the 18th-century rebuilding. A visit here links the fate of one aristocratic family directly to one of the region's most important works of sacred art.

Frequently asked questions

Is the chateau the same as the castle in Bečov nad Teplou? No. They are two separate buildings on the same hill: an older Gothic castle and a later Baroque-Classicist chateau built in the 18th century. This entry covers the chateau.

Where can the reliquary of Saint Maur be seen today? It is displayed at Bečov nad Teplou Chateau, in the same building where it was hidden in 1945 and rediscovered in 1985.

Why is the reliquary considered so exceptional? It is one of the most important surviving works of Romanesque goldwork in Central Europe and the second most valuable movable monument in the Czech Republic after the crown jewels.

Who were the Beaufort-Spontin family? A French-Belgian aristocratic family who bought the Bečov estate in 1813 and owned it until 1945, when they were expelled from Czechoslovakia.