Shrouded in Mystery

Posted Feb 18, 2006 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 18, 2006 at 10:51 PM

2 p.m., Museo della Sacra Sindone, Turin

Today, I finally went to see the one thing most people know Turin for – the Holy Shroud of Turin   at the Museo della Sindone. Some say it was Jesus’ burial cloth. Others say it is a fake. Scientists keep contradicting one another and carbon dating has proved inconclusive.

Thing is, what I saw today was only a reproduction of the shrod. The real one is kept locked up out of sight at the Cappella della Sacra Sindone inside the Duomo di San Giovanni. That’s because there were fears light and air were rapidly deteriorating the fabric. The next scheduled public viewing of the real shroud isn’t until 2025. With nearly a million visitors here for the Olympics, one would think they might make an exception and have a special viewing. But that’s not the case and I likely will never see the real thing.

Not to worry. The chapel the copy is housed in is a thing of beauty and to be able to sit and look at the magnificent fresco painted on the ceiling is enough for me.

While I was coming out, I met three Americans heading in for a look at the copy of the shroud—Victoria Haley, 24, of Boston, Jessica Archibald, 32, from Hillsborough, Calif., and Lara Rubin, 38, from New York City. Jessica was the first one I noticed because she was wearing this Martian-style wiggly springs on her head with USA stars and stripes. I thought it was odd headgear for a visit to the shroud, even if it is only a copy. I think she forgot she was wearing them. I can only imagine what the church sister thought as she came in wearing those things.

Victoria told me she had been to Italy several times before because she heads up groups that tour Italy, as well as other parts of Europe. They said they had to do something “cultural” today and this was it. Then they were headed to speed skating for something not so cultural, a sport that’s essentially roller derby on ice.