Cappuccino Experience

La Sindone

The Holy Shroud, or La Sacra Sindone as it is know here in Italy, is on display in the Duomo of Turin until 23 May. It is the first time it has been shown to the public since 2000.

Last Sunday, 25 April, I went with my wife, brother and in-laws to the ostensione. Turin, a city I adore and where I lived for a period, was abuzz with tourists. After making our way to the special entrance on Corso Regina Margherita we had about 45 minutes of queuing before we finally entered a large room showing a short film about the markings on the Shroud. It pointed out exactly what to look for. Then we entered the Duomo and arrived at a viewing platform with three tiers. This had been specially erected only a few metres away from the sacred cloth.

Follow the signs and you won’t get lost

Seen “live” the markings on the Shroud are quite faint, but blood stains are clearly visible and it’s possible to see the outline of a man. A prayer is read aloud and after about 3 minutes you are asked to move on. Although photography was not permitted many people ignored this.

I must admit I didn’t know what to expect even though I was well prepared and had watched an excellent documentary all about this controversial cloth just a month earlier. All I can say is I wasn’t disappointed by the experience.

La Mole Antonelliana

On Sunday 2 May the Pope will pay an official visit to Turin which includes the celebration of Mass in Piazza San Carlo at 10.15, an event which will be broadcast live from Vatican Televison Centre.

There’s even an official T-shirt

To view the Shroud a booking is necessary. It’s free, easy and it only takes a few minutes. You can even print out your reservation ticket. Places are still available (weekends are fully booked). Go to the official website for more details. However, it is also possible to enter the Duomo and see the Shroud from a distance of about 20 metres – no queuing, no booking – and there is no time restriction.

Souvenir edition of La Stampa

For those wanting to find out more about this mysterious cloth there are some very interesting online resources. I highly recommend the supplement Alla Scoperta della Sacra Sindone published by La Stampa (it can be seen in the above photo) and available to download in pdf format (only available in Italian unfortunately) or the interactive reading of the cloth on the official website.

Pilgrims pray before a photographic replica of the Shroud in the nearby church of San Lorenzo

There are plenty of churches to discover in Turin and some of them have photographs of the Shroud to pray before. In fact the photographic negative usually displayed shows many more details than can be seen by a “live” viewing.

Entrance ticket for online bookings

Just one of the many exhibitions coinciding with the “ostensione”

If you do decide to go I hope you enjoy your visit. Turin won’t disappoint you, of that I am sure (check out Coffee & Culture. Exploring Italy’s First Capital, an article I wrote last year to get a taste of what you can expect).

Useful Links

• La Sindone Official Site
• La Sindone Online Booking
• Reading the cloth
• Turismo Torino e Provincia
• Torinoplus
• Torino daily photo with very interesting photos of La Sindone