CUSTODY'S HISTORY MUSEUM

 

 

The Franciscan Custody in the Holy Land – eight hundred years of passionate events

 

Franciscan History in the Holy Land already sets in at the beginning of the 13th century with St. Francis’ journey, when, in times of war around the crusades, the Saint firmly rejected any violence and instead sought a way toward peace through dialogue with the sultan of Egypt. It was only about a hundred years later, that the Friars Minor became officially entrusted with the guardinaship of the Holy Land in the name of the Universal Curch by papal bull in 1342: a legal recognition to the Custody of the Holy Land which was soon after, in 1347, acknowledged by the Mamelukes.Ever since, the “friars of the cord” have ceaselessly aided pilgrims and watched over the Holy Places, providing a continuous testimony up to the present day, frequently under dramatic conditions.

 

Discovering history through a fascinating cultural and artistic heritage

 

These eight hundred years of uninterrrupted presence have left a rich cultural heritage of great diversity, which is preserved in the Custody's collections and will be on display in the Custody’s History Museum.

History will come alive through precious liturgical instruments and vestments, many of them masterpieces of European goldsmith's and textile art, as well as paintings and illuminated manuscripts; exciting historico-cultural objects and handcrafted works, like the equipment of the Custody's famous Jerusalem pharmacy, and the locally influenced, beautiful mother-of-pearl artworks, will be showcased in all their splendour; archival documents of high historical and artistic significance, including papal bulls and oriental firmans dating back to the 14th century, will attest the relations between the Franciscan friars, papacy, Kingdoms in Europe, and the Ottoman Empire.

 

History, missions and internationality

 

The Custody’s History Museum will provide visitors with a comprehensive historical overview, that reflects both the Custody's interaction with local communities and its relations with political powers all over the world, particularly the Old Europe. Within the chronological tour, thematic accents will be placed on the principal Franciscan 'missions' and fields of activity in the Holy Land, such as guardianship, liturgy and study; welcoming and hospitalty; local charity and daily life, as well as international relations.

 

With its extensive exhibition of about twenty rooms, the Custody’s History Museum will be housed in the historical building complex of St. Saviour Monastery, the main seat of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem's Old City since the 16th century.