The Shroud is a linen sheet whose weave is a herringbone pattern made in the ancient Egypt manner before Christ. It measures 442 cm long by 113 cm high plus a 8 cm strip sewed lengthwise. On the tissue there is a faint impression of an image, the frontal and dorsal one of a man who suffered the death of crucifixion. It’s a “sudarium” or shroud and the image distinctive characteristic is of being like one of a negative film.

«Sindón» is a greek name and can be found in the synoptic Gospels about the burial of Jesus. In the latin version of the New Testament «Síndon», from which the italian «Sindone» derives, has been transliterated. In Greek and Latin the use of this name is really wide indicating a piece of sheet that can be both raw and already ready-made for a specific purpose. Its italian meaning is considerably restricted: the use applied to the «funeral cloth» kept in the Turin Cathedral is practically almost exclusive. The other languages haven’t kept the same continuity of the word: «(Saint) Suaire» in French, «(Holy) Shroud» in English, «(Heiliges) Grabtuch» in German (funeral cloth), «Sábana Santa» in Spanish. There is always a reference to the Gospel parables about the Passion of Jesus and a cross-reference mark to the piece of sheet his dead body was wrapped in after the Deposition. (from the official website).