It is unknown how many relics there are of the True Cross, reputedly the wood of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Many churches around the world claim to have a fragment or fragments of the True Cross, which are held in reliquaries. The prevalence of these claims led John Calvin to argue that all the extant fragments of the True Cross, if put together, would fill a large ship. However, in the 19th century French architect Charles Rohault de Fleury made an inventory of all the alleged relics of the True Cross and found that, if put together, they would not constitute enough wood to crucify a man.
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