The man of the Shroud exhibit was a wonderful visit to a museum that was trying to show a balanced view of the story behind the Shroud of Turin and than allows for the visitor to come to their own conclusions. A great intellectual discussion.
Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center
Jerusalem’s magnificent Pontifical Institute Notre Dame is a towering French cathedral and guest house located across from the Old City’s New Gate. As the director of Notre Dame explains, the complex was built in the 1880’s in order to increase the flow of pilgrims to Jerusalem, and was part of an area called the “French Compound”.
The French “Notre Dame,” which means “Our Lady,” is a reference to the Virgin Mary, who is said to have been assumed into heaven in Jerusalem.
The structure was built on a 400-square-meter plot that was bought by the Count of Piellat, and combined classical and modernist architecture with a touch of eastern motifs thrown in for good measure. In 1893, five years after Notre Dame received its first pilgrims, the cornerstone for the chapel was laid. And in 1904, after 20 years of unceasing construction, the marvelous nave was completed and the outside of the church was crowned with a statue of the Virgin Mary. During the War of Independence the building sustained heavy damage; a part of it was destroyed by explosions and became a guard post.
However, even after the situation quieted down, the center could no longer cope with the prohibitive maintenance costs, and was eventually turned over to the Vatican. Pope John Paul VI took the project under his wing, and in the late 1970’s, Notre Dame reopened as the Holy See’s international pilgrim center.
These days, Notre Dame is mostly used as a boutique guesthouse for pilgrims, who often attend the daily mass at 6:30 pm.
TripAdvisor Reviews
Based on 55 traveler reviews“A wonderful exhibit showing a balanced view”
“Great location”
This was a nice stop on our pilgrimage. Nice restaurant with good food. A very well done and interesting exhibit on the Shroud of Turin.
“Who is the man of the Shroud?”
Johanna lead us through the facts around the Shroud of Turin to help us discover who was the man of the Shroud. Technology uncovers details that have been held in secret for centuries. It was interesting to learn the biology, botany, geography, physics and history of this ancient cloth. The graphics were very...
MoreJohanna lead us through the facts around the Shroud of Turin to help us discover who was the man of the Shroud. Technology uncovers details that have been held in secret for centuries. It was interesting to learn the biology, botany, geography, physics and history of this ancient cloth. The graphics were very helpful ... detailed enough to explain things well while not getting too bogged down so that even children could understand the story. I learned so much!
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