Highlights
The secret of Guarini's dome
The dome of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud designed by Guarino Guarini is considered one of the absolute peaks of world Baroque architecture.
Its constructive system is based on six superimposed arches rotated 30 degrees with respect to each other, creating a weave of curvilinear segments that interlace in an upward play of light towards the lantern at the summit.
The visual effect from inside is dizzying and almost hypnotic: the dome seems to dematerialise, transforming itself into pure luminous geometry that guides the gaze towards the sky.
Architecture and history: from the Renaissance to the Baroque
The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista was built at the behest of Bishop Domenico della Rovere, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, who financed its construction by demolishing three pre-existing early Christian churches.
The Florentine architect Meo del Caprino designed a building in a sober and elegant Renaissance style, with a tripartite white marble facade, three portals with sculpted lunettes and a central rose window.
The Holy Shroud: the most famous mystery in the world
The Holy Shroud is the most mysterious and studied artefact in the history of mankind. It is a linen cloth about 4.4 metres long and 1.1 metres wide, on which is impressed the image of a man bearing the marks of a crucifixion.
According to Christian tradition, it is the burial cloth that wrapped the body of Jesus of Nazareth after the deposition from the cross, and bears the traces of his passion and death.
The works of art and treasures of the cathedral
In addition to the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, the interior of the cathedral preserves an artistic heritage of great value.
Particularly noteworthy are the panels by Beato Angelico: two panels of the polyptych of Saint John the Baptist, dated around 1438, which Bishop Della Rovere brought with him, having probably commissioned them in Florence.
These works, of extraordinary pictorial quality, represent a rare testimony of fifteenth-century Florentine art preserved in Piedmont.
The cathedral is famous worldwide for housing one of the most venerated relics in Christianity: the Holy Shroud, the linen cloth that according to tradition wrapped the body of Jesus Christ after the crucifixion. The cloth is kept in the Cappella della Sacra Sindone, designed by the baroque genius of Guarino Guarini and annexed to the cathedral itself.
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Architecture and history: from the Renaissance to the Baroque
The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista was built at the behest of Bishop Domenico della Rovere, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, who financed the construction by demolishing three pre-existing Early Christian churches. Florentine architect Meo del Caprino designed a building in sober, elegant Renaissance style, with a tripartite façade in white marble, three portals with sculpted lunettes and a central rose window. The three-nave interior, with columns and round arches, reflects the measured, balanced proportions typical of Tuscan Renaissance transplanted into Piedmontese soil.
The original structure was later enriched over the centuries with important baroque interventions, the most significant being the construction of the Cappella della Sacra Sindone, begun by Ascanio Vitozzi and completed between 1668 and 1694 by Guarino Guarini. The Guarinian dome, with its interlocking arches superimposed in a vertiginous play of geometries, is considered one of the supreme masterpieces of European baroque architecture. The chapel, severely damaged by the fire of 1997, has been the object of a long, complex restoration that has restored all its magnificence.
The cathedral's bell tower, dating from 1470 and therefore predating the church itself, is the oldest architectural element of the complex. With its five orders of double-arched windows and pyramidal top, it dominates the profile of the sacred area.
The Holy Shroud: the world's most famous mystery
The Holy Shroud is the most mysterious and most studied relic in human history. It is a linen cloth around 4.4 metres long and 1.1 metres wide, on which is impressed the image of a man bearing the marks of crucifixion. According to Christian tradition, it is the burial cloth that wrapped the body of Jesus of Nazareth after his deposition from the cross.
The Shroud arrived in Turin in 1578, brought by Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy to shorten the pilgrimage of Saint Charles Borromeo who wished to venerate it. Since then it has become the spiritual and identitary symbol of the city. Public expositions of the relic are extraordinary events that draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the globe. Normally the cloth is kept in a specially climatised case, not directly visible, but the Guarinian chapel and the cathedral remain open to visitors all year round.
The Museo della Sindone, located near the cathedral, deepens with a wealth of documents, reproductions and scientific studies the history and mysteries of the sacred linen, offering a complementary and essential visit for anyone wishing to fully grasp the importance of this extraordinary relic and its bond with Turin and the House of Savoy.
Artworks and treasures of the cathedral
Beyond the Cappella della Sacra Sindone, the cathedral interior preserves an artistic heritage of great value. Particularly noteworthy are the panels by Beato Angelico: two panels of the polyptych of San Giovanni Battista, dated around 1438, that Bishop Della Rovere brought with him, probably commissioning them in Florence. These works of extraordinary pictorial quality represent a rare witness to 15th-century Florentine art preserved in Piedmont.
The cathedral's lateral altars are enriched by paintings and sculptures of fine workmanship, dating between the 16th and 18th centuries. Among the most significant works are the altarpieces by Piedmontese authors and the stucco and marble decorations enriching the side chapels. The crypt, accessible on request, preserves the remains of the pre-existing Early Christian basilicas, offering an extraordinary glimpse into Turin's religious history from the early centuries of Christianity.
The cathedral is also home to important liturgical and cultural events throughout the year: organ concerts, solemn celebrations, temporary exhibitions and initiatives related to the history of the Shroud bring this sacred space to life.
The secret of Guarini's dome
The dome of the Cappella della Sacra Sindone designed by Guarino Guarini is considered one of the absolute peaks of world baroque architecture. Its constructive system is based on six superimposed arches rotated 30 degrees relative to one another, creating a weave of curvilinear segments interlacing in an ascending play of light towards the topmost lantern. The visual effect from inside is vertiginous and almost hypnotic: the dome seems to dematerialise, transforming into pure luminous geometry that guides the gaze towards the sky.
This entirely original constructive system, without precedents, profoundly influenced 18th-century European architecture, inspiring in particular the masters of Bohemian and German baroque. After the devastating fire of 11 April 1997, which destroyed much of the decoration and caused serious structural damage, the chapel underwent a long restoration lasting over twenty years, allowing visitors once again to admire this architectural marvel in all its original splendour.