Unveiling the Shroud of Turin
Posted on September 22, 2007
Turin is a large industrial city as well as a business and cultural metropolis that lies in the Piedmont Region of North Italy. Once the capital of Italy, Turin (or Torino in Italian), is the birthplace of solid chocolate and chocolate factories, and is home to Italy’s famous Juventus Football Club, Fiat automobiles, the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Turin Cathedral
The city also boasts of a magnificent view of the Alps, as well as famous attractions such as the Savoy Residences, the Museo Egizio (Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), the Roman ruins of Palantine Towers, the National Cinema Museum at Mole Antonelliana, the 17th century French royal residence Palazzo Reale, and the Lingotto Building, which was at one time the largest car factory in the world, and now houses a convention centre, a concert hall, an art gallery, a shopping centre and a hotel.
Turin’s biggest claim to fame, however, is a rectangular piece of cloth measuring approximately 14.3 x 3.7 feet that is the world’s most studied piece of archaeology: the Shroud of Turin. Housed in a chapel to the left of the main altar of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Turin Cathedral), the Shroud is a centuries-old linen cloth bearing the image of a crucified man, revered for hundreds of years as the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth.
Is this Jesus Christ?
The vault were the Shroud is being kept
Pilgrim capital
For many centuries, the Shroud has drawn pilgrims from all over the world to witness its exposition. The last few expositions have been held in 1898, 1978, 1998, and a special exposition for the World Youth day pilgrims in 2000, while the next scheduled exposition is still more than a decade away, scheduled in 2025.
When the Shroud is not on display, visitors to Turin can still go to the cathedral, although they will have no access to the cloth itself. To preserve and protect the Shroud, it is bedded in a specially built airtight case made of a light aeronautical alloy, with an upper surface is made of bullet-proof, laminated glass weighing 1000 kg to prevent thieving. Inside the airtight case there is a mixture of argon (99,5%) and oxygen (0,5%) to guarantee the perfect conservation of the Shroud and its protection from any form of bacterial growth. The new case is stored within an alcove of the Cathedral and visitors are permitted to pray and meditate in this area.
There is also a Shroud museum, the Museo della Sindone, along Via San Domenico, maintained by the Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud of Turin. The museum features that displays many artifacts related to the Shroud’s history along with many excellent Shroud photographs, some of them life size, accumulated by the brotherhood since its inception in 1598, twenty years after the Shroud’s arrival in Turin.
No need to travel to Italy
Filipinos do not have to wait for a couple more decades nor travel more than 6,500 miles to see the Shroud of Turin. For the first time in the Philippines, and the first time in Asia, Shroud Exhibits International, Inc. presents the Philippine Exhibition of The Mystery of the Shroud of Turin.
After enlightening New Zealand, the exhibit’s journey continues in the Philippines. The Philippine Exhibition of The Mystery of the Shroud of Turin opens on July 20 at SM City-Pampanga. It will then be taken to SM Mall of Asia from Sept. 8 to Dec. 9; SM Davao from Jan. 18 to Feb. 3, 2008; and SM City Cebu from April 4-27, 2008.
Managed by Primetrade Asia, Inc., endorsed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, and for the benefit of the Sisters of the Holy Face Congregation, The Holy One of the Lord Catholic Foundation, Inc., and the Diocese of Parañaque, the exhibition allows visitors to journey with the Shroud’s history, discover the facts and myths behind the most studied archaeological artifact of all time, and unravel the mystery behind the Shroud.
Souvenir Shop
“The exhibit is a one-of-a-kind, 45-minute lights and sound show featuring exclusive video clips, special artifacts, and over 80 exhibit items; never been shown before in the Philippines and in Asia,†reveals Irene Lloren, president of Shroud Exhibits International, Inc. “The exhibit items come from the collection of Mr. Barrie Schwortz, the Official Documenting Photographer commissioned by King Umberto II of Savoy, the Shroud’s previous monarch-owner.â€
To ensure that visitors will fully experience the history and science behind the Shroud of Turin, visitors shall be divided into groups of fifty, first through a comprehensive video that summarizes what the visitors can expect from the journey they are about to undertake. The visitors are then taken along the Way of the Cross, to relive the passion of Jesus Christ, journeying from the trial, to Calvary and until His death and burial.
“Featured in this section of the exhibit are artifacts, such as the whip, crown of thorns and nails, that are commissioned from the armourer of the movie Lord of the Rings,†explains Lloren. “A visual showcase also awaits visitors, as there will be moving images of the scourging at the Pillar and the scene at Mt. Calvary to further the spiritual experience.â€
The next part of the exhibit tackles the various methods used to prove or disprove the authenticity of the Shroud, based on art and architecture, science and technology, and the Bible. The various theories behind the Shroud are also discussed, such as the Leonardo Da Vinci theory, the Photograph theory, the Middle East Pollen theory, the Hemoglobin discovery, the Templar theory, the Risen Christ theory and the Carbon Dating story.
Further along the tour is the replica of the Shroud of Turin, which was recreated in 2005 from Shwortz’ original photos, using the very latest digital photographic reproduction techniques- in life-size form on backlit and full-size transparencies, on full life-size digital prints and in both positive and negative formats, along with many close-ups of the individual detail of the man on the Shroud.
An Adoration Chapel is also on hand for visitors who wish to spend some moments in quiet solace and prayer, while a special area of the exhibition is also set aside for special events, such as seminars and workshops, hosted by religious groups.
Photo Gallery
“The last part of the tour serves to reach out to our visitors on a personal level,†concludes Lloren. “The area allows visitors to relive their experience, to reflect on the Shroud and what it means to their faith, and to carry out the message of the Shroud in their activities. In the end, this special exhibit is envisioned to be a spiritual journey for every Christian, a soulful pilgrimage in search of a symbol of faith.â€
The exhibit is expected to draw large crowds consisting of students from elementary to college level, the academe and professionals from different industries, church groups such as parishes, seminaries, and congregations, other faith-based groups and organizations, and families and the general public as a whole.
The event’s media partners include Manila Bulletin, Philippine Star, Radio Veritas and Mozcom. Philippine Cable Television Association (PCTA) and A-Z Direct Marketing are the event’s cooperating organizations.
For more details, contact Shroud Exhibits International, Inc. at 895-2966 or 610-0870, or email shroudexhibits@yahoo.com.
The article above was lifted from the Press Kit provided to us during the tour
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Thanks for posting this Eric. It was also brought here in SM San Fernando.