Zprávy památkové péče 2018, 78(4):307-316 | DOI: 10.56112/zpp.2018.4.04

Castle chapels and their liturgical furnishings as a subject of historical and liturgical research

Radek Martinek

Cyrilometodějská teologická fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci

The chapel was an integral part of each noble residence; it was designed for private prayer as well as celebrating various church ceremonies or events of importance to members of the aristocratic family. It is not only their artistic decoration that merits research, however, but also the chapels themselves from a liturgical point of view and their ecclesiastic-legal status which significantly influenced the liturgical function and therefore their furnishings. Liturgical life in the chapels of noble residences in the Czech lands definitively fell quiet in 1950; this was a time equally unfavorable to both the aristocracy and the church.
In ancient Christian times, followers of Jesus worshiped in private homes until such religious observances lost their original meaning after the Edict of Milan of 313. From medieval times, smaller sanctuaries were regularly founded in noble estates that were far from the church centers. Parish churches also served a similar function. A desire for greater comfort and social prestige, however, often motivated aristocrats to have their own chapel. From the height of the Middle Ages, home chapel privilege (lat. privilegium oratorii privati) was no longer an issue associated with higher church leaders (prelates) and sovereigns, as other nobles tried to obtain them for their own residences. By the late Middle Ages, the existence of domestic chapels had completely escaped the supervision of local church authorities. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) demonstrated a very strict attitude towards the establishment of chapels in private homes and for Eucharistic worship in them. The Prague Congress of the Clergy (1605) repeated the strict principles of the Council concerning noble chapels, but added the conclusions of the Synods of Milan. These conclusions held that a private chapel should resemble a church as much as possible, it should be separate from the dwelling space, and Mass should be held there only occasionally.
After the end of the Thirty Years' War, granting the right to a private chapel with Mass rights was perceived as a special favor for supporting the re-establishment of Catholicism in the country. Certain chapels were revoked under the Josephine reforms, however, when a nearby parish church was built. The reformation synod of the Prague clergy, held in Prague in 1860, marked a new life for castle chapels. It appealed to the nobles to keep their ancestral chapels and to inspire others in their religious life. Church law distinguished chapels according to whether they replaced the church in the location and were thus accessible to the public (oratorium publicum cum licencia celebrandi). The public status of a castle chapel was demonstrated by an initiation title and a proper public consecration, the presence of an appointed priest, the preservation of the Eucharist in the sanctuary, and the possibility of celebrating Mass during consecrated holidays. Establishing a private chapel for the purpose of increasing the owner's comfort was viewed more strictly; such a request had to be addressed directly to the Holy See (a chapel established by papal indult - oratorium privatum cum licencia celebrandi in eo), and such a privilege was granted only to a specific person and for a certain time.
From a liturgical point of view, a chapel in which Mass was to be regularly held had to have the same furnishings as a church. In the chapel of a noble's own family seat, however, aristocrats had a freer hand to apply their own tastes and take their own emotional aspects into consideration, especially in the acquisition of Mass furnishings - this meant that they were not required to submit to the current law of the Church in everything. Currently, the least-explored of such aspects are the vestments (paramenta), although they provide the clearest testimony about their owners. Many noblewomen were quite involved in their creation, with the more skilled often making them themselves, while others would provide their own clothing to be retailored. Church norms in the 19th century no longer tolerated this practice, however, since the fabrics tended to be too secular in nature and too colorful.
Chapels in castles and aristocratic residences provide an excellent research opportunity to see them as a distinct organic entity that was formed and continuously maintained for a longer period. While other churches often underwent more rapid liturgical modifications, castle chapels and their furnishings have remained almost intact. The value inherent in their history primarily contributes to an increased knowledge of the actual religious content, reason for their establishment, or the status of each particular chapel within the larger framework of ecclesiastical administration. The furnishings, especially the vestments, reveal the tastes of the owners and reflect their own particular fates, but it also tells us about their artistic talents and craftsmanship.

Keywords: castle chapels, liturgical furnishings, historical liturgical textiles

Published: December 1, 2018  Show citation