Turin Cathedral (Shroud of Turin)

Turin Cathedral houses the Shroud of Turin, a 4.4-metre linen cloth bearing the faint front-and-back image of a crucified man, venerated by many as the burial shroud of Jesus. Documented from the 14th century and brought to Turin in 1578 by the House of Savoy, it became one of Christendom's most famous and controversial relics. In 1898 the first photograph revealed the image was startlingly like a photographic negative, deepening the mystery. Radiocarbon dating in 1988 placed the linen between 1260 and 1390, suggesting a medieval origin, though debate continues over contamination and repairs. A fire in 1997 nearly destroyed it before a fireman smashed the bulletproof case to save it. It is publicly displayed only on rare occasions.