CAPPELLA DELLA SACRA SINDONE

Located in northern Italy's Turin, the Chapel of the Holy Shroud is a Roman Catholic church designed in the Baroque style and dedicated to housing the Shroud of Turin, a sacred relic widely held to be the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth. It is next to the Turin Royal Palace and may be found just outside the Turin Cathedral.

The Holy Shroud, which is 5 square meters in size, is kept in this small, peaceful church of Cappella della Sacra Sindone that dates back to the 17th century and was designed by Guarino Guarini. The depiction on it is of a skinny, bearded man with wounds that seem to match those described in the Bible as having been experienced by Christ at his execution. The Duomo has gone to considerable pains to protect the antique relic, despite years of historical and scholarly doubt over its validity (it was never formally recognised by the Catholic Church). Discover the historical Roman Catholic Church with our Europe trip.

Many small-group walking tours of Turin include a visit to the Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale), Piazza Castello, and the Mole Antonelliana in addition to the disputed shroud, which is one of the city's centerpieces. The shroud is so fragile and old that it is kept in a climate-controlled cabinet with a particular mixture of argon and oxygen and is rarely seen to the public; instead, the church presents video footage of the original.

Highlights

• Learn more about the Shroud of Turin and its mysterious past.
• See the Holy Shroud Chapel, a Baroque masterpiece.
• Get the lowdown about Turn's past from an educated source.
• Come see the St. John the Baptist-dedicated dome at Turin's cathedral.
• Admire the baroque style chapel that blends elements of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture into a single baroque-style construction.