The Shroud of Turin enters the digital age
William Zambrano MD
The Shroud of Turin enters the digital age
On January 9, a quiet but symbolically charged moment unfolded inside the Apostolic Palace. Pope Leo XIV became the first person to experience a new digital reading of the Shroud of Turin, signaling that one of Christianity’s most scrutinized relics has now fully entered the online world.
The initiative, called Avvolti, was presented to the Pope by Cardinal Roberto Repole, the pontifical custodian of the Shroud.
The encounter marked a turning point: a relic long associated with guarded exhibitions and careful physical access is now available globally through a dedicated digital platform.
Accessible via avvolti.org and sindone.org, the program works across smartphones, tablets, and computers. Users can move across a high-resolution reproduction of the cloth, enlarging details associated with the face, the wounds, and the signs traditionally linked to the Passion.
Each section is accompanied by explanatory notes and Gospel passages, creating what its designers describe as a guided reading rather than a static image gallery.
According to Zenit, this is the first time such an experience has been offered to the general public online. What once required travel to Turin and access to rare exhibitions can now be explored from anywhere in the world.
Jubilee wonder
The digital project builds directly on the physical Avvolti installation that drew large crowds during the Jubilee year of 2025. From April 28 to May 5, a tent in Piazza Castello housed a life-size, 1:1 reproduction of the Shroud displayed on a specially designed five-meter table.
More than 30,000 visitors from 79 countries passed through in just eight days, confirming that interest in the relic remains both intense and international.
The online platform is an adaptation of that experience. The same progression — moving slowly across the image, guided by text and context — has been translated for personal screens without losing its sense of discovery. Images and short reflections are also being shared through social media, extending the project’s reach beyond those who actively seek it out.
Cardinal Repole has framed Avvolti as part of a longer pastoral strategy of the Diocese of Turin, launched in 2024. While the Jubilee gave it public visibility, the initiative is not intended as a one-time event.
Further developments are already being planned in view of 2033, the year that will mark the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s Redemption.
Beyond its technical achievement, the digital Shroud raises broader questions about how ancient religious symbols function in a hyperconnected culture. In contrast to the rapid consumption typical of online media, Avvolti invites patient attention and silence. It suggests that technology, often blamed for distraction, can also be used to foster depth.