Holy Shroud (Cappella della Sacra Sindone)

Behind the high altar in the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista, also known as the Duomo di Torino is the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, containing one of most famous and controversial religious relics in world history.

The Shroud of Turin, as the Holy Shroud is popularly known, or Sacra Sindone, is a piece of linen cloth said to have been laid over the body of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion. It bears the faded image of a bearded, longhaired man who appears to have wounds consistent with Bibilical traditions of those suffered by Christ at his execution.

Whatever the shroud's authenticity, it is certainly old, and its existence has inspired and renewed the faith of innumerable Christians throughout history. Given its importance, the Church has gone to great lengths to preserve it; currently, it is housed in a climate-controlled case filled with a special atmosphere comprised of argon and a little bit of oxygen, and it is rarely displayed. In its stead, the church usually displays a replica.

While viewing the Holy Shroud is the main reason most people visit the Duomo di Torino, the church itself is worth a look. Confirmed as a metropolitan see in 1515, the church is attached to the original bell tower from 1469. It is modest when compared to places such as the Basilica di Superga, but its architecture and interior decorations are no less captivating.

The Cathedral - or Duomo di Torino - is located in the Piazzo Castello district, where you will find several museums including the Citadel/Artillery Museum, the Museo di Antichità (containing prehistoric finds and artifacts from the Roman period), the Museum of Ancient Art, and the National Film Museum.