DURHAM Cathedral is sending one of its issues of Magna Carta across the Atlantic to mark the treaty’s 800th anniversary.
A 1300 issue and its accompanying Forest Charter will tour four Canadian cities between next week (June 4) and December, the centrepieces of an interactive exhibit exploring history, legacy and justice.
Lisa di Tomasso, the cathedral’s head of collections, said: “The Chapter of Durham Cathedral is very pleased to be able to lend these important and fragile documents, which are leaving the cathedral for the first time in over 700 years.
“It has taken some years and much hard work to enable this to happen and the exhibition will reflect the importance of these charters and their place in both English and Canadian history.
“As with many Commonwealth countries, the document has informed the legal system in English Canada, particularly the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
Suzy Rodness, co-chair of Magna Carta Canada, said: “Durham Cathedral’s gracious generosity in bringing this original issue of the Magna Carta to us has afforded Canadians a tactile, tangible, teachable moment.”
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