Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista (Turin Cathedral)

The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista is Turin's principal church and the only major Renaissance building in the city, completed in 1498 with a clean white marble facade and a free-standing bell tower beside it. Inside, the relatively restrained nave gives little hint of the cathedral's worldwide fame, which rests on a single object: the Shroud of Turin, the linen cloth bearing the faint image of a crucified man that many venerate as the burial shroud of Christ. The shroud is kept rolled and protected in a conservation case behind the altar and is shown publicly only on rare occasions decreed by the Church, so on an ordinary visit pilgrims and travellers see a full-size backlit photographic reproduction that allows close study of the famous image, together with explanatory panels. Looming above is the Cappella della Sacra Sindone, the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, an extraordinary spiralling black-marble dome by the Baroque genius Guarino Guarini that was devastated by fire in 1997 and reopened after a long restoration in 2018. A visit usually takes thirty to forty-five minutes, longer for those who study the shroud displays in detail. Mornings before the tour groups arrive are the calmest, and as an active place of worship the cathedral asks for modest dress with shoulders and knees covered. Photography without flash is generally permitted in the body of the church. The cathedral stands beside the Palazzo Reale in the very centre of Turin, close to Roman remains and the Porta Palatina, making it easy to combine with the royal sights and an essential stop for understanding the religious heritage of the Piedmont capital.