IN CAMMINO. La porta di Torino: itinerari Sindonici sulla Via Francigena
A new edition of the exhibition “In cammino. La porta di Torino: itinerari sindonici sulla Via Francigena”, presented at Palazzo Maffei Marescotti, Via della Pigna 13/A, in Rome from 30 January to 28 March 2025.
It is a multidisciplinary and interactive itinerary, a real virtual journey that highlights the historical and contemporary centralities of Turin and Piedmont, home of the Holy Shroud and main access to the Peninsula along the Via Francigenapilgrimage route.
It is created by the Carlo Acutis Foundation and the Museo Civico d’Arte Antica, in collaboration with the Piedmont Region and under the patronage of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE).
Details
The project focuses on the Via Francigena as one of the highest expressions of the promotion of religious and inclusive tourism and as an opportunity to dwell on one of Italy’s most important pilgrimage routes: the one that crosses Piedmont with the exhibition/trail that narrates the territory, highlighting the historical and contemporary centralities of the region, home of the Holy Shroud and main access to the Peninsula along the Via Francigena pilgrimage route.
Accompanying the itinerary is a reflection on the theme of the pilgrim – he who moves for material salvation, of body and spirit – and the journey of the Saints of Charity, from St. John Bosco to St. Giuseppe Cafasso, from St. Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo to Blesseds Piergiorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, with a series of encounters with the soul of the region through a visual exploration dedicated to its founding themes.
The exhibition is structured in three sections, each connected to a specific theme. In the first, sixteen original illustrations are presented, created by young Italian artists who are now recognised worldwide. A series of works are inspired by the concepts of pilgrimage, spirituality, the Holy Shroud, the paths, the Charity Saints, but also the essential morphological aspects of Piedmont and the relationship between man, nature and food. The second section hosts a whole series of video materials specially made to illustrate the Via Francigena and the Shroud itineraries, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the landscapes of the places crossed. In the third section, a large interactive map highlights the paths of the ‘Via Francigena for all’ project and the Shroud-connected paths illustrated in Sisto Giriodi’s book Le altre Sindoni. The map is flanked by photographs of the dozens of shrouds frescoed on the exterior walls of buildings along the Piedmontese routes. Works little known even by many Piedmontese, despite the fact that they constitute a singular case of popular devotion, a cycle of art spanning three centuries. The exhibition includes a work created by the Turin artist Carlo Gloria on the theme of the path.

The Exhibition
The exhibition develops the themes of pilgrimage, the Via Francigena and the Shroud-related itineraries with the support of
- sixteen young Italian illustrators, women and men already internationally recognised, Massimiliano Aurelio, Giacomo Alvise Bettiol, Roberto ‘Hikimi’ Blefari, Davide Bonazzi, Andrea De Luca, Massimiliano Di Lauro, Giovanna Giuliano, Riccardo Guasco, Gabriele Pino, Sergio Ponchione, Jacopo ‘Jeugov’ Riva, Jacopo Rosati, Elisa Seitzinger, Elisa Talentino, Ilaria Urbinati, Cinzia Zenocchini;
- videos specially created to illustrate the Via Francigena and the Shroud routes, allowing visitors to have an immersive experience;
- Images from a research conducted by Sisto Giriodi on the traces left by centuries of pilgrimages to the Holy Shroud, which is conserved in Turin since 1578;
- The Piedmontese artist Carlo Gloria.
Multimedia installations and organisational coordination: ARCHILAND studio by Paolo Maldotti.
The Shroud routes
Turin, gateway to Piedmont, opens up to a rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and gastronomic specialties. In Turin, there is a precious asset that can be considered a beacon for those embarking on a religious journey: the Shroud.
Along the routes that connect France with Piedmont, where the Shroud has traveled over the centuries, sometimes secretly, and at times, it is said, deceptively to mislead ill-intentioned individuals, it has inspired artists. There are more than 600 iconographic testimonies that the International Iconographic Center for Shroud Studies is currently cataloging.
Among these, approximately 100 are “mural shrouds” in Piedmont, painted on the exterior walls of various buildings, including houses, palaces, and castles. But also mountain huts and farmhouses – they constitute an entirely Piedmontese chapter in the history of the Shroud and its public displays. It is little known even by many Piedmontese people, despite being a unique case of popular devotion and an art cycle spanning three centuries. (Sisto Giriodi, Le altre Sindoni).
They are Simple works, as often most important things are. Cataloged by Sisto Giriodi and displayed in the exhibition.