The paper focuses on issues concerned with the heritage of historical music manuscripts and prints, along with their use and dissemination in the wider European area, as well as the activities and musical mission of the Dominican and Minorite monasteries in Ptuj (Pettau, Petovio). Both monastic orders were once exceptionally important and maintained strong connections with European spiritual movements. They preserved works on music theory, liturgical books and some sheet music, which has enabled a more detailed insight into the musical culture of monastic communities and into the transcultural influences that resulted from the multi-directional migrations of friars among various European monasteries in the past.