Behind cloister doors

Fifteen years ago, the Kraków Historical Museum came up with the idea of allowing the public to see historical objects belonging to the city's monasteries and which are normally cloistered - away from public view. The annual showcase born of this idea - "Treasures of Kraków's Monasteries" - has previously displayed relics owned by the Pauline, Cistercian and Franciscan orders. Now, an exhibition is on at the museum displaying some of the treasures held by Kraków's Monastery of Dominican Fathers.

Many of the items have not been seen for centuries by anyone but monks. "We want to show what can not be seen in church, what is inaccessible in the everyday," says Witold Turdza, one of the exhibition's curators. The items on display date as far back as the 13th century - including two papal edicts from this period - while some were made as recently as the 20th century. The huge range of objects includes two very valuable sections of the "Dominican triptych" altar, which are painted on both sides and depict The Bow of Three Kings, Flagellation, The Last Supper and The Annunciation. An alabaster figurine of the Virgin Mary, called Jackowa, is also present.

Other objects in the collection of artwork on display include shrines such as the Shrine of the Lord's Blood from the beginning of the 15th century. There are several liturgical objects, such as golden chalices and monstrances, as well as liturgical books adorned with beautiful monograms. There is also a large collection of church fabrics. "Some of these things are relics, but others, such as the liturgical paraphernalia, are still in use," adds Turdza. "All of them are connected with the history of the Dominican Fathers in Poland."