The shroud first emerges on the
stage of [western] history in the mid-14th century in the town of
Lirey, France. Its owner was a
famed knight - Geoffrey de Charny, Seigneur of Lirey. Where and how he got the
relic, no one knows although there was talk of "spoil of battle". A
chronicler of the fourth crusade, Robert de Clari, had written of seeing in
in 1203, a shroud that bore "the figure of our Lord". The following
year he recounted it had disappeared when the Crusaders looted the Byzantine
For reasons that are somewhat
murky, de Charny's granddaughter, Marguerite, surrendered her prize possession
to Luis, Duke of Savoy, in 1453. .... The shroud, from then to this day, has
belonged to the house of
Duke Luis built a special church at
Sainte Chapelle, where the shroud was enshrined. ...
in 1532, takes on special significance today. Fire broke out in the sacristy of
Sainte Chapelle. Before the shroud was rushed to safety, drops of molten silver
from its casket dropped on the cloth and severely charred some of the corners
of the folds. Water, used to put out the fire, left large and unsightly stains.
Fortunately, the image was largely spared. ...