The Custodia di Terra Sancta is a branch of the Franciscan order, established by the pope in 1342 to safeguard the church of the Holy Sepulcher and other holy sites in the Middle East. Over the course of centuries, Christian heads of state from across the Western world sent symbolic gifts to the Holy Sepulcher and other holy sites via the Franciscans of the Custodia. The objects, which range in date from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century, represent the extraordinary survival of different kinds of objects that all too often have been lost to history. Highlights of the Terra Sancta Museum's collection include more than 60 pieces of goldsmith and silversmith work and textiles that date from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Among these are chalices and candlesticks in gold and silver and opulent liturgical vestments that were sumptuous gifts from the French and Spanish kings.
