The Turin Shroud is a linen cloth bearing the ventral and dorsal image of a scourged, crucified man which has survived nearly two thousands years, during which time it has accumulated very little damage. The man portrayed is believed by millions of people to be Jesus of Nazareth. Or is it an exceptional medieval forgery that has fooled so many people. Modern twentieth century has completed thousands of hours of extensive study to make the Shroud the single most studied artifact in human history. More is now known about the Shroud than ever before but controversy still rages.

The Shroud arrived in Turin in 1578 and has been moved only once due to World War II. Since its arrival it has been displayed only a few times each century. This is due to two main reasons; security, and exhibition damages the Shroud and makes it harder to preserve it for posterity.

Several years ago a DNA study was conducted by some Texan researchers on supposed Shroud bloodstains. However, as the samples were questionable, the results have not been officially recognized. Even so, the results were definite on one point: the blood is that of a human male. The main reason for not accepting their findings is due to the sheer amount of people who have had actual contact with the Shroud. But it is important to bear in mind that even if the identity of the DNA is resolved it can have very little to do with discovering how the image was formed.

Disaster struck on Friday 11 April 1997 at approximately 11:45 p.m. A fire broke out in either the Dome of the Chapel, which was undergoing renovation, or in the west wing of the Royal Palace, which immediately adjoins the Chapel. The fire, regardless of its origins, spread rapidly to and engulfed the Guarini Chapel, situated between the Cathedral and the Palace.

Fortunately, the Shroud escaped certain doom as it had been moved earlier due to plaster falling from above. It gave fireman Mario Trematore a chance to rescue the Shroud from its 39mm thick bullet-proof protective casing.

The aftermath of the fire showed extensive damage to the Chapel and the Palace. In the Chapel, two-thirds of its marble coating was damaged. The estimated costs run into 5.9 million dollars at the least.

So once again the Shroud has endured fire for the third time in its known history and survived. The Shroud is still available for study to determine whether or not it is authentic. But does it truly matter if the man who was wrapped in the Shroud was Jesus Christ? What really matters is that millions of people stoically believe that it is Jesus Christ and it has become the "proof" of the existence of His existence. What they believe is the truth...