Torino - The Shroud of Turin

One cannot visit Torino without being a little curious about the Shroud of Turin. I'm sure you know the story: that this cloth is revered by some as the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, and dismissed by others as a medieval forgery. There are many questions of science and faith that surround this artifact. I won't get into the history of the Shroud, because there are plenty of websites devoted to this subject.

Instead, I'll show you a pictorial tour of Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista (Cathedral of St. John the Baptist), also known as the Duomo, which is where the Shroud is located in Torino. This is going to be difficult because I ended up with over 20 excellent shots of the architecture and art in this beautiful building (which actually isn't that impressive from the outside)...



However, once you get up close, you can see very intricate carvings on the archway above the doors, and then once inside, the size of the Cathedral becomes apparent as you look down the main aisle...



The arches on each side lead to left and right aisles, each of which includes a series of alcoves that contain some incredibly beautiful artwork...



Sadly, I lack the architectural and historical knowledge to correctly identify the elements by name, but each scene contains gorgeous wall paintings, and/or sculptures. There are a total of 12 alcoves off the aisles, but I will only show you four representative samples...



I've actually visited the Cathedral twice now to take pictures. The first time, my camera battery ran out after only a few minutes, and most of the pictures weren't very good.



On my second trip to the Cathedral, I took many more pictures, and experimented with exposures with and without flash. (Surprisingly, they allowed flash photography in the Cathedral, or at least there were no signs to the contrary, and nobody came and told me to stop).



Typically, I like the color better when I don't use flash, but it is sometimes difficult to get a focused shot when the shutter times are 1/8 of a second. However, the ambient light from the windows higher up caused the shots without flash to have glare reflected off portions of the artwork in each alcove, so the flash pictures turned out better this time.



At the front of the Cathedral, the right transept contains the huge pipe organ and another scene of the crucifixion...



The left transept has a balcony which looks to be reserved for people of importance, which sits atop a glass enclosed alcove. A nearby sign reads "In this chapel the HOLY SHROUD lies horizontally in a shrine made of aluminum and glass, covered with a large damask cloth"...



Truthfully, this display was a little bit of a let down compared to the rest of the Cathedral, however, back down the right aisle past the remaining alcoves, and near the entrance to the Cathedral, there is a display showing a replica of the Shroud...



Below the replica are negative images that more clearly show the outline of a body with arms crossed in front at the wrists. I would urge you to read some of the many online resources about the Shroud to learn the history and controversy surrounding this Christian artifact.