What is believed to be Christ’s burial cloth, the Turin shroud, is going on display at the Turin Cathedral until May 23.
Pope Benedict XVI will pray before the shroud on May 2nd, although the Catholic church does not necessarily claim the shroud is the original burial cloth of Jesus.
Carbon dating tests over the years have thrown doubts onto the period of the cloth’s origin, although Italian Catholics and the faithful around the world still hold it as a symbol of Christ’s passion.
The shroud has been housed in the Turin Cathedral since 1578, apart from a brief period in World War II when it was hidden in the Montevergine Monastery after fears that the Nazis would steal the shroud and keep it as a symbol of their power.
Like many religious relics, the shroud has a chequered history, being partly destroyed in a fire in 1572.
The last carbon dating tests were carried out in 1999, a slight restoration of the cloth took place in 2002, and in 2009 faint text was found on the cloth that is believed to be the remnants of a death certificate.
While viewing the shroud is free, you should book online by going to the Holy Shroud website.
Over two million people are expected to visit the shroud, with 1.
5 million bookings already made.
Visits are open until 10:15 pm to facilitate more visits, and the Turin Duomo opening hours have been extended to include Fridays.
In total, a visit lasts one hour with three to five minutes of viewing time for the shroud itself.