Shroud of Turin to have 2010 showing | Stars and Stripes

Worth reading

By Jim Sajo, Special to Stars and Stripes
Stripes European Travel, September 24, 2009

Photos courtesy of Barrie M. Schwortz/Shroud of Turin Research Project ©1978

The Shroud of Turin Research Project examined the shroud closely in 1978. The research revealed human blood stains and confirmed the ghostly image is not paint, pigment or any other known staining agent.

The image of a beaten and crucified man is visible on the Shroud of Turin. Many believe the image is a miraculous likeness of Jesus, somehow burned into the cloth during resurrection.

Photos courtesy of Barrie M. Schwortz/Shroud of Turin Research Project ©1978

Photos courtesy of Barrie M. Schwortz/Shroud of Turin Research Project ©1978 A close-up reveals a man whose appearance resembles images of Jesus. Wounds around the forehead are consistent with the biblical description of a crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head. Barrie M. Schwortz, who provided photos to Stars and Stripes, was the official documenting photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project, which examined the shroud closely in 1978.

Know and go

• The Shroud of Turin will be on display in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist April 10 through May 23, 2010.

• Visits are by reservation only and must be booked online at www.sindone.org, which has an English-language version. The reservation system should begin operating on Dec. 1. The Web site has a frequently asked questions section that gives details on the reservation procedure and more information on the exhibit and other sites in Turin.

• Visitors will start their tour in Turin’s Royal Gardens, in the city center. A covered, mile-long "Introductory Route" presenting historical information and photographs about the shroud will precede entry into the cathedral.

• More information on the shroud is available at the Museum of the Holy Shroud, a 10-minute walk from the cathedral.

Is it a fantastic forgery or a miraculous image? Either way, the Shroud of Turin is one of the most researched and most mysterious artifacts in the world.

But while it is thoroughly studied, it is rarely seen. In the past 300 years, the famous piece of linen has been on public display only 17 times.

Next year will make 18. From April 10 through May 23, the city of Turin will put the shroud on exhibit.