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PHOTO © ENRICO CANO<br />
TURIN<br />
From 10 April to<br />
23 May next year,<br />
the four-by-one<br />
metre linen cloth<br />
said to be the burial<br />
shroud of Jesus<br />
will be taken in<br />
its hermetically<br />
sealed, spaceage<br />
casket and<br />
put on display in<br />
Turin Cathedral<br />
(sindone.org) for<br />
the fi rst time in<br />
a decade. Over a<br />
million visitors are<br />
expected to fl ock<br />
to the city to get<br />
a glimpse of this<br />
world-famous relic,<br />
and many will also<br />
wend their way to<br />
Swiss architect<br />
Mario Botta’s new<br />
church (pictured)<br />
called Santo Volto<br />
(Saintly Face),<br />
which is a modern<br />
testament to the<br />
city’s priceless,<br />
holy treasure.<br />
Built on the site<br />
of an old factory,<br />
the church is<br />
an ensemble of<br />
seven towers with<br />
obliquely sliced<br />
COMING<br />
UP<br />
The Shroud of Turin<br />
roofs surrounded<br />
by short towers<br />
with inclining<br />
heads similar to<br />
sunfl owers. Next<br />
to the towers rises<br />
a column wrapped<br />
in a spiral of steel<br />
ribbon to represent<br />
the crown of<br />
thorns. The interior<br />
is fl ooded with<br />
natural light and<br />
behind the altar is<br />
the iconic outline<br />
of Christ’s face,<br />
a representation<br />
of the church’s<br />
namesake.<br />
Explaining the<br />
philosophy behind<br />
his work, Botta<br />
has said: “Building<br />
anything is a sacred<br />
act, it is an action<br />
that transforms<br />
nature into culture.<br />
Out of an empty<br />
plot of land<br />
grows a church,<br />
a spiritual place<br />
of congregation,<br />
a museum, or<br />
an art gallery,<br />
which begins a<br />
new life and makes<br />
new history.”<br />
Martin Gani<br />
THE BUZZ | TURIN<br />
DECEMBER 09 | TRAVELLER | 27
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