April 12, 1997. Copyright, 1997, Graphic News. All rights reserved

SHROUD OF TURIN SAVED AFTER FIRE HITS CATHEDRAL

A fire heavily damaged the 15th century cathedral housing the Shroud of Turin, but firemen managed to rescue the fabric that some Christians consider to be Jesus ChristÕs burial cloth.

The shroud is a piece of cloth which bears the faint yellowish negative image of the front and back of a man with thorn marks on the head, lacerations on the back and bruises on the shoulders.

In 1353, the religious relic was taken to France by a crusader and stored in a chapel. It was transferred to Turin after it was damaged by fire in Chambery, France.
Former Italian King Umberto di Savoia gave the cloth to the Vatican in 1983. The Shroud has been enshrined in the Royal Chapel of the cathedral since 1578.

Firemen used a sledge hammer to break through four layers of bulletproof glass protecting the silver-and-glass urn that contains the 14-foot-long linen shroud, while others poured water on the vessel to keep it cool.
Mario Trematore, the firefighter who finally smashed the glass, said ÔGod gave me the strength to break the glass.Õ

It took about 200 firefighters more than four hours to extinguish the blaze, which began on Friday night. Police said there were no injuries and the cause was not known.

The chapel, which was under restoration, was completely gutted and the adjacent 17th century Royal Palace, which contains antique furniture and valuable paintings, sustained extensive damage.

Sources: BBC, Associated Press