Duomo della Cappella della Santa Sindone, Torino

Speranza



The Capella della Santa Sindone was built for Carlo Emmanuele to contain one of the holiest of relics, the shroud in which the body of Christ was believed to ahve been wrapped after his descent from the Cross.

Christ's shroud belonged to the House of Savoia and had been brought to Torino by Emmanuele Filiberto (from the Crusades).

The Cappella adjoins the Royal Palace and opens into the east end of the Cathedral.

The Cappella was begun by Castellamonte, but the upper part of the cylindrical structure and the duomo are the work of Guarini, and were completed in 1694.

The fantastic design is based on multiples of three and on triangular patterns weaving in and out, in and out, ever diminishing in size and leading the eye up to the twelve-pointed star in the lantern, in the centre of whihc hovers the Holy Dove illuminated by twelve oval windows.

All the lower part of the chapel is of black marble, while the duomo is of grey stone which glows paler with height, thus cleverly creating an illusion of great distance.