Why an Atheist Thinks the Shroud of Turin is the Real Deal

Secondo Pia

Secondo Pia was born in 1855, in the Piedmont area of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Piedmont, as the area is generally known today, is in the most northwestern corner of what is now Italy but was then a collection of minor states, city states, and pieces of kingdoms. Mountainous Piedmont is in the northwest corner of Italy above the boot, bordered by France in the west, by Switzerland to the north, and the Lombard region of Italy in the East.

In 1353, at just about the exact time that the Holy Shroud, now more commonly known as the Shroud of Turin, was being first exhibited in Lirey, Peter IV of Aragon on the Iberian Peninsula laid claim to Sardinia and Corsica. It was now a kingdom within a kingdom.

In 1479, at just about the time that the House of Savoy acquired the Holy Shroud Sardinia became part of the new Kingdom of Spain created by the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabel of Castile. Ferdinand and Isabel are of course far better known for financing Christopher Columbus of Genoa.

It wasn’t until 1720 that Spain lost Sardinia in a war with the British, Austrians, French and Dutch. It went to Austria. But, in what can best be described as a side deal, the Duke of Savoy traded away Sicily for Sardinia. It was a fortuitous move because Spain was able to capture Sicily and Naples as well in 1734. Following the biggest assemblage ever of representatives from the empires, kingdoms, princedoms, the Treaty of Vienna in 1835, the king of Spain was formally named the king of Sicily and Naples, as well.

And the fighting continued throughout the continent.