Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and Holy Shroud Chapel
Why is it significant?
Stand upon the cobblestone forecourt of Piazza San Giovanni to admire the clean white Montanaro marble facade of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, dedicated to Turin's beloved patron saint.
Key Facts
| Place | Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and Holy Shroud Chapel |
|---|---|
| Address | Piazza San Giovanni 1, 10122 Turin, Italy |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.07350, 7.68400 |
| Part of Walk | Royal Palaces, Shroud Cathedral and Roman Quarter: The Imperial Origins of Turin |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand upon the cobblestone forecourt of Piazza San Giovanni to admire the clean white Montanaro marble facade of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, dedicated to Turin's beloved patron saint. Erected between 1491 and 1498 by Cardinal Domenico della Rovere on designs by Tuscan architect Meo del Caprina, this three-aisled cathedral represents the only surviving authentic Renaissance church in Turin, built atop the foundations of three early Christian basilicas. The adjacent red-brick bell tower was begun in 1470 and crowned in 1720 with a theatrical baroque stone belfry by Filippo Juvarra. Directly behind the cathedral's high altar rises the black marble dome of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, the world-famous circular reliquary designed by Guarino Guarini between 1668 and 1694 to enshrine the ancient linen burial cloth that Catholic tradition reveres as the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. The sanctuary evokes deep centuries-old reverence.
Contemplate the optical pyramid structure of the Shroud Chapel dome: Guarini stacked six concentric tiers of segmental arches in black and grey Frabosa marble, progressively diminishing their size toward the hovering dove of the Holy Spirit to generate an optical illusion of infinite vertical height. Meticulously restored after a devastating fire in April 1997, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Holy Shroud, today preserved inside a climate-controlled argon-gas casket beneath the cathedral's left side altar, entered Savoy possession in 1453 through Margaret de Charny and was bequeathed to the Holy See by Italy's last king, Umberto II, in 1983.
Notice the bas-relief carvings on the main marble portal: they depict delicate Renaissance foliate candelabra and the heraldic oak tree emblem of Cardinal Della Rovere with its intertwined branches.
Walk north along Via XX Settembre to reach the colossal Roman gateway of Porta Palatina.