Holy Face of Lucca

"By the Holy Face of Lucca."

"That the simulacrum of Christ Crucified known as the Holy Face (which Dante also wanted to touch in his Poem) is very ancient is beyond doubt; all its characteristics, which we will discuss below, are those of an image of great antiquity and, in the opinion of many, of a Byzantine image. Although explicit records show that it did not appear in Lucca Cathedral until the 12th century, and coins bearing its image cannot be traced back beyond the 13th century, according to numismatists, however, from these documents it can be argued that it existed long before, and there are many reasonable inferences that demonstrate that its transfer to Lucca dates back to the end of the 8th century."