This is the big question that has accompanied the mysterious history of this 14 by 4 foot (4.36 m by 1,10 m) linen. Could this really be the cloth wrapped around Christ’s body at his burial? The evidence of history and science suggest that it could be, although neither can give us conclusive proof.

In the end, it is almost the “Man of the Shroud” himself who asks us, “Who do you say that I am?”  

In the words of John Paul II: “What matters for the believer, is that the Shroud is a mirror of the Gospel. The image it presents has such a profound relationship with what the Gospels tell of Jesus’ passion and death that every sensitive person feels inwardly touched and moved at beholding it” (John Paul II, Address given in Turin on May 24, 1998).

This exhibition aims to lead to a more intimate encounter with Christ himself, to help us gain a deeper grasp of the love that moved him to go through all his sufferings in this holy city, in the places that we visit on our pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The exhibition (the first one of its kind) offers a documented explanation about the Holy Shroud. A total of 22 panels display information about:

• The history of the Turin shroud (its itinerary in these 2000 years)
• The scientific research that has been done on the Shroud   
• The various sufferings evidenced on the Shroud, along with  reconstructions of: the crown of thorns, the nails of crucifixion, Roman whips, etc.

The most outstanding elements of our exposition are the digitalized and life-sized copy of the Holy Shroud, two holograms showing the three-dimensional image of the Man of the Shroud, and a bronze life-sized statue of the Man of the Shroud, created by the Italian sculptor Luigi Mattei, who based his work on extensive studies of the Shroud. This unique sculpture, which  shows us the suffering body of the man who was wrapped in the Shroud, instills a sense of silence and reverence in those who look upon it in faith. It shows a swollen face marked by blows, yet full of a mysterious majesty, peace, and serenity.
For those who come to the Holy Land seeking a deeper glimpse of the face of Christ, the Notre Dame exhibition on the Holy Shroud is a worthy complement to their pilgrimage experience.