The
Shroud of Turin, one of the most venerated objects of Christianity, may have
been made by the founder of Western art, Giotto, says Italian painter and art
restorer Luciano Buso, who recently wrote a book on the matter. According to
Buso, hidden in the fabric of the Shroud of Turin are several appearances of
the number 15 and the artists’ name, suggesting, Buso asserts, that Giotto
created the shroud in 1315. ‘I have examined extremely clear photos of the
Shroud and spotted a number of occurrences of the number 15, in the face (of
Christ), the hands, and in one case even shaped to look like a long cross,’ he
said, explaining, ‘He wasn’t trying to fake anything, which is clear from the
fact that he signed it “Giotto 15,” to authenticate it as his own work from
1315.’ Although the results have been contested by religious experts, recent
carbon dating has revealed that the Shroud was made sometime in the early
fourteenth century.
