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The Vyšehrad Chapter, which played a long and more important role in the Czech history than Prague Castle, itself, boasts a new relic. It is a fragment of the altar at which St. Peter served the first mass when in the year 44 he arrived from Antioch to Italy.

The chapter will celebrate its 940th anniversary, which is commemorated on St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s day, i.e. on 29th June.

Importance of Vyšehrad

The public sees Vyšehrad only as the seat of the mythical Libuše and Přemysl. However, it became a firm part of Czech history as early as in the 10th century, when the first fortified castle and the first Christian churches of St. Kliment and St. John were built.

“In the 11th century, Vyšehrad became the residence of the first Czech king Vratislav I,” pointed out historian Helena Soukupová. This was the time of the creation of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Basilic as well as that of St. Laurence.

Charles IV knew the significance of Vyšehrad

Charles IV attributed a great significance to Vyšehrad. During his reign, the place got new fortifications and became the entry to the New Town and other Prague towns. Vyšehrad also became a part of the coronation ritual during which bast shoes and a pouch were shown as pagan relics.

Support of royal residence

It was there that Charles IV decided to found a new residence with a new Gothic church, which was founded on the axis of the existing St Peter’s and St.Paul’s Basilic. This required a new relic, which became a part of St. Peter’s altar.  

“Works in the 1980’s contributed to our research, when an unusual object was found in the west part of the church,” said Helena Soukupová. It is likely that a rare and valuable relic was placed in there in 1355, when Charles travelled to Italy and Pisa, where the altar was located in St. Peter’s Church. Charles gave this to the Vyšehrad priory. It was a whole half of the altar.

Altar disappeared for ever

At the time of the Hussite commotion, Vyšehrad was plundered, including the church. It was probably then that the valuable relic – half of St. Peter’s altar got lost. So far, no archaeological findings indicate that the piece of the alter has been found anywhere. It was probably a marble fragment, said to have come from Carrara.

Chapter asked for the relic again

After a rather long search, the Vyšehrad Chapter found out that parts of the altar still exists in Pisa, Italy. “This is why we decided to speak to the archbishop of Pisa, whether a part of the relic could be donated to Vyšehradská Chapter,” said the chief of the capitlula SJUDr. Jan Kotous.

The request was satisfied also due to the fact that Charles IV is a favourite figure in Italy. This time, the relic is not a big part but only a small fragment. It is interesting that when the case with the altar was being opened, two or three pieces fell off. As if it had been prepared so it was not even necessary to interfere with the altar’s mechanics. It is these pieces that are now part of the altar in St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church in Vyšehrad.