In 1988, one group of scientists said their analysis showed the shroud originated between 12, while another said their analysis showed it originated between 300 B.C. In the 1970s, the Shroud of Turin Research Project said the markings on the cloth were consistent with a crucified body and that the stains were real human blood. Starting in the 20th century, people on both sides of the debate began to bolster their arguments with scientific studies. There have been many scientific studies about its authenticity.ĭespite the fact that Pope Clement VII declared the shroud a fake over 600 years ago, there has been no end to the debate about the shroud’s authenticity. It has remained there ever since, with the exception of World War II, when Italy relocated it for safekeeping. In 1578, the house of Savoy moved the shroud to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, which later became part of Italy. The burn marks and the water stains from where the fire was extinguished are still visible today. It melted part of the silver in the container protecting the shroud, and this silver fell onto part of the shroud, burning through it.

In 1502, the house of Savoy placed the shroud in the Sainte-Chapelle in Chambéry, which is now part of France. Before the shroud moved to Turin, it was almost lost in a fire.

As punishment for selling the shroud, she received excommunication.Ĥ. In 1453, Margaret de Charny sold the shroud in exchange for two castles to the royal house of Savoy, which ruled over parts of modern-day France, Italy and Switzerland (the house later ascended to the Italian throne). However, she later refused to return it, and instead took it on tour, advertising it as Jesus’ real burial shroud. Her husband wrote a receipt for the exchange acknowledging that the cloth was not Jesus’ authentic burial shroud, and promising to return the shroud when it was safe. In 1418, when the Hundred Years’ War threatened to spill over into Lirey, Geoffroi de Charny’s granddaughter Margaret de Charny and her husband offered to store the cloth in their castle. De Charny’s granddaughter was excommunicated for selling it to Italian royals. Still, he said the Lirey church could continue to display it if it acknowledged the cloth was a man-made religious “icon,” not a historic “relic.” Today, Pope Francis still describes it as an “icon.” 3. In response, the pope declared the shroud wasn’t the true burial cloth of Christ. Furthermore, d’Arcis claimed the dean of the Lirey church knew it was a fake and had used it to raise money anyway. However, many prominent members of the church remained skeptical of its authenticity.Īround 1389, Pierre d’Arcis-the bishop of Troyes, France-sent a report to Pope Clement VII claiming an artist had confessed to forging the shroud. The pope soon declared it was not an actual historic relic.Īfter the church of Lirey put the shroud on display, the church began to draw a lot of pilgrims, and also a lot of money. WATCH: Jesus: His Life on HISTORY Vault 2. There’s no record of how de Charny got his hands on the shroud, nor where it was during the 1300 intervening years since Christ’s burial outside Jerusalem. A French knight named Geoffroi de Charny allegedly presented it to the dean of the church in Lirey as Jesus’ authentic burial shroud. The earliest historical records of the Shroud of Turin place it in Lirey, France during the 1350s.

The shroud first surfaced in medieval France. More than 600 years after it first appeared in historical records, the Shroud of Turin remains an important religious symbol for Christians around the world. For others, it is a religious icon reflecting the story of the Christ, not necessarily the original shroud. For some, it is the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ. The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot linen cloth bearing an image of a crucified man that has become a popular Catholic icon.

Linen shroud