Sudarium of Oviedo facts for kids
The Sudarium of Oviedo, also called the Shroud of Oviedo, is a special piece of cloth. It is about 84 by 53 centimeters (33 by 21 inches) in size and has bloodstains on it. This cloth is kept in the Cámara Santa (Holy Chamber) of the Cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo, Spain. The word "Sudarium" comes from Latin and means "sweat cloth." Many people believe it is the cloth that was wrapped around the head of Jesus Christ after he died, as mentioned in the Bible in John 20:6–7.
Scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating to test the cloth. This test suggested the cloth was from around 700 AD. However, experts also noted that the cloth's history goes back much further, to about 570 AD. They think that oil on the cloth from later times might have made the radiocarbon dating seem more recent.
King Alfonso II of Asturias built the small chapel where the Sudarium is kept in 840 AD. This chapel was made just for the cloth. The Arca Santa is a fancy chest with Romanesque metal designs. It was made to hold the Sudarium and other important items. The Sudarium is shown to the public three times a year: on Good Friday, on September 14 (the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross), and on September 21.
What is the Sudarium of Oviedo?
The Sudarium is a very old cloth that shows signs of being worn out. It has dark spots that are in a pattern, but they do not form a clear picture. This is different from the Shroud of Turin, which seems to show an image. The Bible mentions a face cloth being in the empty tomb of Jesus in John 20:6–7.
The first time the Sudarium is mentioned outside of the Bible is in 570 AD. A traveler named Antoninus of Piacenza wrote that the Sudarium was being kept near Jerusalem in a cave close to the monastery of Saint Mark.
How did the Sudarium travel to Spain?
It is believed that the Sudarium was moved from Palestine in 614 AD. This happened because the Sassanid Persian King Khosrau II invaded the area. To keep it safe, the cloth was first taken to Alexandria by a priest named Philip. When King Khosrau II conquered Alexandria in 616 AD, the Sudarium was moved again. It traveled through northern Africa and arrived in Spain soon after.
The Sudarium entered Spain at Cartagena with people who were running away from the Persians. Fulgentius, who was a bishop, welcomed the refugees and the important items they carried. He gave the chest with the Sudarium to Leandro, the bishop of Seville. Leandro took it to Seville, where it stayed for some years.
In 657 AD, the Sudarium was moved to Toledo. Then, in 718 AD, it was taken to northern Spain to escape the advancing Moors. The Sudarium was hidden in a cave in the mountains of Asturias called Montesacro. Later, after King Alfonso II fought back the Moors, he built a chapel in Oviedo in 840 AD to keep the Sudarium safe.
On March 14, 1075, King Alfonso VI, his sister, and Rodrigo Diaz Vivar (who was also known as El Cid) opened the chest. They had fasted for several days before this event. This moment was written down in a document that is still kept in the Cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo. The king had the wooden chest covered in silver. An inscription on the chest says, "The Sacred Sudarium of Our Lord Jesus Christ."
See also
- Bilihildis, who received a sudarium
- Blood of Christ
- Empty tomb
- Relics associated with Jesus
In Spanish: Santo Sudario de Oviedo para niños
