Shroud of Turin Goes Digital, Opening Ancient Relic to the World Online

January 12, 2025: The Shroud of Turin has entered the digital era, opening one of Christianity’s most studied and mysterious relics to people around the world through a new online platform. The initiative marks a major step in making the Shroud accessible globally using modern digital technology.

Pope Leo XIV became the first person to experience this new digital reading of the Shroud on January 9. The presentation took place inside the Apostolic Palace, where the Pope was introduced to the project, known as Avvolti, by Cardinal Roberto Repole, Archbishop of Turin and pontifical custodian of the Shroud. The moment symbolised the full entry of the ancient relic into the digital age.

For the first time, the Shroud can now be explored online through a dedicated digital platform available at avvolti.org and sindone.org. The platform works on smartphones, tablets, and computers, allowing people everywhere to access the Shroud without the need to travel to Turin or attend special exhibitions.

At the center of the project is an interactive digital reproduction of the Shroud. Users can move across its surface as if examining it by hand. Important details—such as the face, marks linked to the crown of thorns, and other elements traditionally connected to the Passion—can be enlarged and studied closely. Each section includes explanatory texts and direct references to Gospel passages describing the suffering and death of Jesus. The experience combines images, Scripture, and interpretation, offering a guided and meaningful reading rather than a simple visual display.

The creators of the platform have made clear that it is intended for a wide audience. While the content is based on serious research and scientific study, it is designed to be easily understood by ordinary people, including those who know little about the Shroud. The aim is both educational and catechetical, helping the image speak not only to scholars but also to believers, seekers, and the general public.

The digital platform is part of Avvolti, a broader initiative launched by the Diocese of Turin in connection with the Jubilee of 2025. Earlier in the year, the project was presented in physical form in Turin. From April 28 to May 5, a large Avvolti tent was set up in Piazza Castello, featuring several activities centered on the Shroud. A key attraction was a life-size, 1:1 reproduction of the Shroud displayed on a specially designed five-meter-long table. During the eight-day event, more than 30,000 people from 79 countries visited the installation, showing the strong and international interest in the Shroud.

The new online platform is a direct adaptation of that physical experience. What visitors saw and explored on the five-meter table has been translated into a digital format suitable for personal screens, while preserving the sense of step-by-step discovery. Images and texts from the project are also being shared through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, further expanding its reach.

Cardinal Repole has placed the initiative within a wider pastoral plan of the Diocese of Turin. He explained that the global digital experience is part of a structured “Shroud pastoral program” launched in 2024. While Avvolti was the central expression of this effort during the Jubilee of 2025, it is not meant to be a one-time project. Further initiatives are already in preparation, looking ahead to the Jubilee of 2033, traditionally linked to the two-thousandth anniversary of Christ’s Redemption.

Courtesy: Zenit