Czech police recover medieval saint’s 800-year-old skull encased in concrete

Czech police have arrested a man suspected of stealing an approximately 800-year-old relic, the skull of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk, from the Church of St Lawrence in Jablonne v Podjestedi. The suspect reportedly admitted to taking the skull on Tuesday. Investigators utilized specialized equipment to confirm the relic was concealed within a concrete block without causing damage. Art restorers are currently working to safely extract the skull.

Czech police have recovered an 800-year-old relic, believed to be the skull of Saint Zdislava, which was stolen from a church in Jablonné v Podještědí on Tuesday. A 35-year-old man has been arrested and confessed to taking the skull from its shrine, encasing it in concrete, and planning to throw it into a river because he objected to its public display. Police detained the suspect in Mladá Boleslav on Thursday. The theft occurred shortly before mass while the church alarm was off. The suspect, who has no prior criminal record, faces up to eight years in prison if convicted of charges including theft.

Czech police are searching for a thief who stole the 800-year-old skull of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk from a church in Jablonne v Podjestedi. The relic was taken from a display box in the Saint Lawrence and Saint Zdislava basilica, with security footage showing a figure in black fleeing with the skull. The theft occurred recently, and police are still investigating the exact value of the stolen item, though its historical and spiritual significance is considered incalculable. Saint Zdislava, a noblewoman known for her charitable work, lived in the 13th century and was canonized in 1995. Church officials have expressed devastation over the loss of the revered relic, which attracted pilgrims to the basilica. Authorities are currently evaluating security footage to identify the suspect, whose gender is not yet definitively confirmed.