Nicolai de Marthono, a notary of Carinola, embarked at Gaeta on June 17, 1394, for Alexandria; visited Cairo, M. Sinai and Jerusalem, and on November 27 arrived at Famagusta. He travelled around the island and visited the Monastery of the Holy Cross. After a steep climb, he arrived in the late afternoon.
About the hour of vespers, I reached the church. It is small, but very seemly; on the right-hand side is a little chapel, and there is the said blessed cross, raised and suspended, and nowhere attached, which seems a great miracle; and in this cross is a piece of the wood of the blessed cross of our Lord Jesus Christ covered with silver. And after I had devoutly seen, examined and adored that holy cross the monks who live there showed me these relics, to wit:
A large piece of S. Anne.
An arm of S. Blaise.
A nail fixed in the hands of Christ.
A rib of S. George.
A stone with which S. Stephen was stoned.
And a piece of the wood of the said cross.
Drawing by Tessa Henderson.
The 'What I Saw...' series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus) and the Active Citizens Fund.
