The Sacres Tablecloth of the Last Supper
A story that began 2000 years ago, which has served so that the canvas in which one of the most important chronicles of the life of Christ was produced, has become a unique historical and spiritual treasure exhibited in the Cathedral of Coria for a long time. over 500 years as a universal relic of Christendom.
If the new trend of experiential travel is about connecting to the destination on an emotional and spiritual level, we offer you the most memorable and unmatched experiences while you explore our enchanting region. Embark on an exciting journey into the past and discover the mystery so possessively guarded by the walls of the Holy Cathedral Church of St. Mary of the Assumption of Coria (Santa Iglesia Catedral de Santa María de la Asunción de Coria). The cathedral’s museum treasures the most astonishing and vital relics of Christianity, such as the Sacred Tablecloth of the Last Supper that commemorates the liturgy of the miraculous night of the Maundy Thursday when Christ celebrated Passover with His twelve apostles before His Passion according to the Jewish tradition.
A secret, concealed and exhibited inside Coria’s grand cathedral for centuries, that has aroused the interest of national and international media—such as the Spanish journalist Iker Jiménez, host of “Cuarto Milenio” and an expert in the search for new ways of revealing chronicles based on real stories of a world of great and enigmatic mysteries—and has made it into literature thanks to the Extremadura-born writer Jesús Sánchez Adalid and his novel “El Alma de la Ciudad”, in which he has tried to decipher the journey of the Sacred Tablecloth of Coria.
A story that began more than 2,000 years ago…
Shrouding this important archaeological piece in mystery as it turned into a dogma of faith for some and uncertainty for others. Since time immemorial, it was commonly used by the Jews, who would use double or triple tablecloths in their festivals, such as the Shabbat, where the white cloth on the table symbolised the purity of the food and the double portion of manna that they received every Friday. This has also served as a reason for the linen, that gave birth to the most important chronicles of the life of Christ, to become a unique historical and spiritual treasure, and be exhibited at the Cathedral of Coria inside a beautiful baroque silver casket protected by a red damask velvet bag in silk, for more than 500 years.
Symbolism and mystery…
That have led the experts to carry out scientific studies, such as those carried out in the laboratories of the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid in 1960, or those recently developed by the NASA’s team of scientists, led by Professor John Jackson (Director of Turin Shroud Centre of Colorado), who affirm that the Sacred Tablecloth of Coria and the Holy Shroud or Shroud of Turin were present, together, on the table of the Last Supper. This observation is based on the conformity between the dimensions of both, wherein the Tablecloth of Coria measures 4.42 metres long and 92 centimetres wide, and the Shroud of Turin may have been the tablecloth that subsequently covered the tablecloth of Coria, the latter being more lavishly woven with decoration based on simple geometric ornaments with natural indigo blue colour on the corners.
Devotion, culture and tourism…
Around one of the most precious and important sacred artefacts of the Christian tradition since ancient times. A historical and spiritual jewel that, for years, had been displayed by the Bishops of Coria from the famous Balcony of the Relics on every 3 May (1599), the feast of the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz), until the liturgical ceremony disappeared as a public act in the year 1791, owing to the overcrowding and chaos caused by the faithful devotees. Over the years that followed, it fell into complete oblivion. However, the City of Coria and its Cathedral brought it back on display for the world to see, restoring its former glory as a Universal Relic of Christianity.
A tradition…
Once again converted into a popular attraction and meeting point for pilgrims who are eager to receive grace and plenary indulgences, as they were also granted, since ancient times, by the magnanimous Roman pontiffs to all those who came to this millenary, episcopal and noble city to venerate the Sacred Tablecloth of Coria.
