The National Museum of Funeral History, America’s most extensive collection of authentic funeral service artifacts, proudly presented its 18th permanent exhibit, “The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin” on April 27, 2023. The exhibit features a certified copy of the Shroud from the Archdiocese of Turin. 

The 14- foot linen cloth bears the image of a man, which millions believe depicts Jesus of Nazareth. Owned by the Dukes of Savoy (former ruling family of Italy) until the late 1980s, the original Shroud is now the property of the Catholic Church and has been permanently kept in Turin, Italy, since 1578.

The museum’s replica and display immerse visitors into the perplexing history and scientific studies of the Shroud and Jewish burial customs prevalent to that time. The body was washed and anointed with a wide variety of fragrances to mask odors and purify the body. Objects such as coins were placed over the eyes to keep them closed during the onset of rigor mortis. The face was covered with a special cloth and the hands and feet were tied with strips of cloth prior to being wrapped in a shroud prior to entombment or burial. Over the next three days, relatives would visit the tomb to ensure death had occurred.

“The Shroud of Turin has been wrapped in mystery and intrigue for centuries,” explained Genevieve Keeney-Vazquez, National Museum of Funeral History President/CEO and curator of this exhibit. “This captivating exhibit allows visitors to draw their own conclusions about the identity of the man in the shroud. The museum is a secular setting that shares the deep-rooted history and theories behind the Shroud with a broad cross-section of museum visitors.

Listen as Genevieve Keeney, host of The Final Curtain Never Closes podcast, talks with Col. Rudy Dichtl and photographer Barrie Schwortz, members of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) team, who share personal experiences of their time working on one of the “most significant scientific studies ever performed on the Shroud.”

Listen to the Podcast Here