The treasure of the church of Saint Servatius was put together over many centuries. One of the oldest pieces (today non-existent) was a reliquary in the shape of a triumphal arch, donated by Einhard (biographer of Charlemagne and abbot of Saint Servatius) in the 9th century. In the 11th century a custodian ('custos') was put in charge of the church's already seizable treasure.
Relics shown from the dwarf gallery during the Septennial Pilgrimage (Blokboek van St Servaas, ±1460)Floor plan: 1.Servatiana; 2.Noodkist; 3.Textiles; 4, 5 & 6.Liturgical objects
During the late Middle Ages the number of relics further increased. A septennial Pilgrimage of the Relics (Dutch: Heiligdomsvaart) attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims. At these occasions, the main relics were shown to the pilgrims gathered in Vrijthof square from the dwarf gallery.[1] In 1579, the church treasure suffered badly during the Sack of Maastricht by the Spanish troops led by the Duke of Parma. In 1634, under the threat of war, the treasure was brought to Liège, where it remained for twenty years.
In 1340 it was reported that the treasure of the church was kept in a dark vaulted room on the lower floor of what is called the double chapel. The double chapel is one of the oldest surviving parts of the church and dates back to the 11th century. It was built adjacent to the northern transept and can only be accessed via the cloisters. This seems to have been the permanent location of the treasury until 1873, when it moved to the former refectory and chapter school.
After the restoration of the double chapel in 1982, the treasury was once again housed in its original location. The treasury now occupies both floors of the double chapel and a side room on each level. The basement floor with archaeological excavations has been made accessible. The entrance to the treasury, via the East wing of the cloisters, is on Keizer Karelplein, which is also the main entrance to the church.
The collection
The treasure of the Basilica of Saint Servatius traditionally consists of four parts: 1. the so-called Servatiana, objects traditionally associated with the life of Servatius, 2. relics and reliquaries, 3. liturgical implements and 4. ancient fabrics. The church's art collection and various archaeological finds are not part of the treasure but are also exhibited in the museum.
This part of the treasure suffered most during the French period (1794-1814). Many chalices, patens, monstrances and other liturgical objects made of gold or silver were melted down in order to pay the war taxes that the French demanded from the canons. However, a few liturgical vessels from the Middle Ages survived and quite a few from the Baroque period (notably some Maastricht silver pieces) are still in the collection.
Textiles
The medieval textiles collection of the Basilica of Saint Servatius is counted among the most important of its kind.[18] From 1989 till 1991 the textiles were carefully restored and documented by specialists from the Swiss Abegg-Stiftung[19] in Riggisberg. Among the best pieces in the collection are the so-called albe of Saint Servatius[20] and the robe of Monulph.[21] Furthermore, there is an extensive collection of early-Medieval woven silks (some dating back to the 7th century) from Constantinople,[22]Egypt[23] and Central Asia[24] and various medieval woven materials from the Meuse-Rhine area,[25]Spain,[26]Italy[27] and the Middle East.[28]
Archaeological excavations took place in the double chapel in 1981-82. Underneath the ground level floor of the Sacrarium inferior canons' grave stones were found, some dating back to the 13th century. Also, parts of walls were excavated that at the time were interpreted as the remains of a Carolingian polygonal church.[29] As it turned out, the walls belonged to polygonal transept arms of a 10th or 11th century church.[30] These remains can be seen in the basement underneath the treasury. Part of the archaeological collection is on display in the lapidarium in the eastern crypt. An important find was the 1086 funeral cross of Humbert, who was provost of the chapter of Saint Lambert's Cathedral in Liège and Saint Servatius in Maastricht. It was he who had the double chapel built which is today the church treasury.
Interior lower chapel
Key of St Servatius
Crozier of St Servatius
Pectoral cross
Reliquary chest ('Noodkist')
Portrait bust St Servatius
Patriarchal cross
Reliquary tablet
Ivory reliquary
Silk cloth
Bibliography
Koldeweij, A.M., Der gude Sente Servas. Assen/Maastricht, 1985
Kroos, R., Der Schrein des heiligen Servatius in Maastricht und die vier zugehörigen Reliquiare in Brüssel. Munich, 1985
Stauffer, A., Die mittelalterlichen Textilien von St. Servatius in Maastricht. Bern, 1991
Tagage, S., & various photographers, Kunstschatten uit de St.-Servaas. Maastricht, 1976
Ubachs, P.J.H., and I.M.H. Evers, Historische Encyclopedie Maastricht. Zutphen, 2005
Van Cauteren, J., and others, Schatkamers uit het Zuiden. Utrecht, 1985
^Hans Christoph Ackermann (1991): "Diese Sammlung von Reliquienstoffen gehört zu den bedeutendsten Gruppen mittelalterlicher Textilien." (Stauffer, p.7)
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