The Twelfth-Century Mosan Reliquary of Pétermonostora

Rácz, Bernat

In 2013, during the excavation of the archaeological site of Pétermonostora (Hungary), two exceptionally large enamel plaques were discovered. The reliquary they belonged to was made by a Mosan artist, possibly in the Meuse Valley, a major intellectual and artistic centre of the period. The artwork's remains constitute one of the greatest discoveries in medieval Hungarian archaeology. Even though the site was completely destroyed by the Mongols in 1241, its remains, and especially artefacts like the reliquary, create a unique image of a large, thriving settlement, home to a Latin Christian masterpiece. Given the destruction of sources and artworks in the region, Pétermonostora offers a rare opportunity to examine artistic, cultural, and historical aspects of high medieval East-Central Europe.