Man Of The Shroud

Shroud History

The history of the Shroud of Turin itself is a matter of great controversy. The cloth that we now know by that name was exhibited in and around Lirey, France, in 1355. It was handed over by Lirey officials to Humbert of Villersexel, Count de la Roche, and Lord of St.Hippolyte sur Doubs, in 1418 for safekeeping, and exhibited on a yearly basis for some time after that.

When Humbert died in 1438 the Shroud became the possession of his widow, Margaret de Charny. She is believed to have given the Shroud to Duke Louis I of Savoy, in exchange for estate revenues and a castle.

In the years that followed, the Shroud accompanied the Duke in his travels, and was for brief periods in Vercelli, Turin, Ivrea, and Moncalieri. It was then sent, in 1502, to the Royal Chapel of Chambéry Castle, which became its home for some time. In 1578 it was moved to Turin, which has become its permanent home.

Some basis exists for maintaining that the Holy Mandylion of Edessa, a sacred relic once exhibited in Edessa (located in Turkey), and moved by force to Constantinople in 944, is identical with the Shroud of Turin.

The museum boards we have created are designed to tell something of the extraordinary story of this strip of linen bearing the unmistakable image of man who has been crucified.

Website visitors are invited to use links to the websites we have listed to obtain more detailed information about the history of the Shroud.