1st International Congress on the Holy Shroud in Spain - Valencia
Centro Español de Sindonologia (CES)

April 28-30, 2012
Valencia, Spain

Valencia Congress

This extremely successful conference was organized and sponsored by the highly respected Centro Español de Sindonologia (CES), which is also celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. With a host of speakers from around the world presenting papers on a wide array of Shroud related topics, the public event attracted a large volume of attendees who filled the beautiful auditorium at the University of Valencia every day. Speakers included noted members of the CES like President Jorge Manuel Rodriguez, Dr. Alfonso Munoz-Cobo, César Barta, Fr. Manuel Carreira, Mark Guscin and many more, as well as Bruno Barberis, Emanuela Marinelli, Marzia Boi, and Paolo di Lazzaro from Italy, John and Rebecca Jackson, Robert Villarreal and Barrie Schwortz from the U.S., Ian Wilson from Australia and David Rolfe from the UK.. Below you will find a complete chronological listing of the speakers and their topics. We have also included links to some of the excellent papers that were presented and hope to add more in the future. In some cases, we have included the actual PowerPoint presentations shown by the speakers so you can see the images that went with the text of their papers.

(l to r) Manny Carreira, Jorge Manuel Rodriguez, Bruno Barberis and John Jackson

Saturday 28 April 2012
First Session
The Imprint of the Shroud

• The Imprint of the Shroud - Moderator: Dr. Alfonso Muñoz-Cobo y Bengoa - Ph.D. in Biology, CESCAM (Madrid), CDSGR (Rome)
• The STURP Research Project - PowerPoint Presention (6MB) by Barrie Schwortz (USA) - STURP Documenting Photographer, Founder of Shroud.com and the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc. (STERA, Inc.)
• Conclusions of STURP and Present Evaluation - Presented by John Jackson (USA) - Ph.D. in Physics, BA in Religion, Executive Director, Turin Shroud Center of Colorado (TSCC), Director of STURP.
• Could A Burst of Radiation Create a Shroud-Like Coloration? A Summary of 5 years of Experiments at ENEA Frascati - PowerPoint presentation (6.9MB) by Paolo di Lazzaro (Italy) - Senior Researcher: ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) Research Centre of Frascati.

Michela Marinelli (left) and her proud aunt Emanuela Marinelli

Second Session
The History of the Shroud

• The History of the Shroud - Moderator: Carlos Izquierdo Herrero - B.A. in Law, Secretary of the CES
• Discovering More of the Shroud's Early History - Text and PowerPoint presentation by Ian Wilson (GB/Australia) - M.A. in History, University of Oxford, Author of several Shroud "best sellers" about the Turin Shroud
• The History of the Shroud - Text and PowerPoint presentation by Mark Guscin (GB/Spain) - B.A. in Classics, MPhil in Medieval Latin, Manchester University, Finishing Ph.D. at London University on the Image of Edessa, Member of EDICES, Editor of BSTS Newsletter.
• Remains of Ancient Writings on the Shroud and Passage Through the Order of the Templars: Two Fascinating and Controversial Hypotheses - Presented by Barbara Frale (Italy) - Ph.D. in History of the European Society, from the Universita Ca' Foscari in Venice, Post-doctoral work in Paleography, Diplomat and Archivist in the School of the "Secret Vatican Archive" and in Greek Paleography Office of the "Secret Vatican Archive." (Editor's Note: Barbara Frale was unable to attend so her paper was read to the audience by Michela Marinelli (daughter of noted Shroud scholar, Maurizio Marinelli)
• The Shroud's Influence on the History of Art - Presented by Jorge Manuel Rodriguez (Spain) - B.A. in Law, Professor at the University of Valencia, Civil Law Department, President of the CES.
• The History of the Shroud - Round Table - Rebecca Jackson (USA) and the afternoon's speakers - Associate Director of the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado (TSCC).
• The Night of the Shroud (La Notte de la Sindone) - Special screening and the Spanish premiere of a new, award winning Shroud documentary presented by the film's director, Francesca Saracino and the film's producer Paolo Monaci (Italy) - Also in attendance was actress Rosalinda Celentano, on camera host of the program and best known in America for her role as the devil in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." [Links no longer available]

History Round Table with Mark Guscin, Jorge Manuel Rodriguez and Rebecca Jackson

Sunday 29 April 2012
Third Session
Medical Aspects of the Shroud

• Visit to the Holy Chalice Chapel in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Valencia - Attendees visited the chapel before the beginning of the day's presentations.
• Medical Aspects of the Shroud - Moderator: Rev. Benito Gallego Casado - Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Oviedo
• A Traumatologist Before the Holy Shroud - Presented by José Palacios Carvajal (Spain) - Medical Doctor, Retired Professor of Traumatology and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Madrid, Member of EDICES.
• The Corpse of the Man in the Shroud and Rigor Mortis - Presented by José-Delfin Villalaín Blanco (Spain) - Medical Doctor specializing in Legal and Forensic Medicine, previously Prof. of Legal Medicine, University of Valencia, Vice-president for Research for the CES, Member of EDICES.
• A Description of the Sudarium of Oviedo - Presented by Felipe Montero Ortego (Spain) - Technical Chemical Engineer, Member of the Spanish Society for Microbiology, Vice-Coordinator of EDICES.
• The Sudarium of Oviedo and the Turin Shroud - (En Español) - Presented by Alfonso Sánchez Hermosilla (Spain) - Doctor in Forensic Medicine, Legal Medical Institute of Murcia, Cartagena section, Member of EDICES.

The Valencia Congress

Fourth Session
Dating the Shroud

• Dating the Shroud - Moderator: Nicolás Dietl Sagües (Spain) - B.Sc. in Physics, Computer Expert, Professor of Quantum Mechanics (UNED).
• The Setting for the C14 Dating of the Shroud - Text and PowerPoint presentation by Emanuela Marinelli (Italy) - B.Sc. in Natural and Geological Science (Sapienza University, Rome), Author of several books on the Shroud, Promoter of the "Collegamento pro Sindone." Also available in Spanish Language version.
• The State of the Samples Used for the 1988 Dating - Text and PowerPoint presentation by Robert Villarreal (USA) - B.Sc. in Chemistry, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico
• Dating the Cloths by the C14 Method - The Oviedo Sudarium - Presented by Felipe Montero Ortego (Spain) - Technical Chemical Engineer, Member of the Spanish Society for Microbiology, Vice-Coordinator of EDICES.
• Changes in the Radiocarbon Date of the Shroud - Presented by Francisco Alconchel Pecino (Spain) - B.Sc. in Physics, Dept. of Applied Physics at the Technical School of Industrial Engineers at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
• What the Shroud is and What it is Not - (En Español) - Presented by César Barta Gil (Spain) - B.Sc. in Physics, Director of research and data handling at IBERESPACIO, Member of EDICES and CIELT.
• The Authenticity of the Shroud, Conclusions - Roundtable
• The Valencia Shroud Enigma Challenge - by David Rolfe (England) - Film & Television Producer, BSTS Member - An unscheduled presentation, in which a number of congress attendees in a private session organized by David, created a list of criteria defining the Shroud image that any skeptic must first address. David also reported on his personal, public Challenge to Richard Dawkins, noted atheist and Shroud skeptic, that he created to challenge Dawkins' views on the Shroud. [Links no longer available]

Bruno Barberis prepares for his presentation

Monday 30 April 2012
Fifth Session
Consequences and Perspectives

• Consequences and Perspectives - Moderator: Rev. Manuel Ordeig Corsini (Spain) - Agricultural Engineer, Priest, Religious Counsellor of CES.
• The CES - 25 Years' Work on the Shroud - Presented by Carlos Izquierdo Herrero (Spain) - B.A. in Law, Lawyer, Secretary of the CES.
• Sharing the Shroud - (En Español) - Presented by Andrés Brito Galindo (Spain) - B.A. in Ecclesiastical Sciences, Ph.D. in Information Science, Representative of the CES in the Canary Islands.
• The Ethno-Cultural Significance of the Use of Plants in Ancient Funerary Rituals and its Possible Implications in the Case of Pollen of the Shroud - (En Español) - Presented by Marzia Boi (Italy) - Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Botany Lab, Department of Biology, University of Balearic Islands. English translation courtesy of Dr. Julio López Morales.
• An Artistic Rendering of the Man in the Shroud - Presented by Juan Manuel Miñarro (Spain) - Ph.D. in Art, Director of the Department of Sculpture and History of Fine Arts, University of Seville, Full Professor of Sculpture, Member of EDICES.
• Perspectives for the Future Study of the Shroud - Presented by Bruno Barberis (Italy) - Associate Professor of Mathematical Physics a the University of Turin, Director of the International Centre for Sindonology.
• Planning a Research Group on the Shroud - Presented by Guillermo Heras Moreno (Spain) - Engineer, Lawyer, Director of Research for the CES, Coordinator of EDICES.
• Theology and the Shroud - Presented by Manuel Carreira (Spain) - Ph.D. in Physics, Retired Professor of Philosophy, Comillas University, Member of EDICES.
• Closing Session - Round Table - Open to the Public for Questions - Moderator: Jorge Manuel Rodriguez Almenar - Professor at the University of Valencia, President of the CES.

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Included in the Proceedings but not presented at the conference

• Resolución de Objeciones (Sólo en Español) by Andrés Brito (Canary Islands)
• Analysis of micro-particles vacuumed from the Turin Shroud (English & Spanish) by G. Fanti, I. Calliari, C. Canovaro (Italy)
• Jewish Shrouds and Funerary Customs: a Comparison with the Shroud of Turin (English Only) by Ada Grossi (Italy) [Via Academia.edu]
• The question of pollen grains on the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo - (En Español) by Emanuela Marinelli (Italy)
• Othon de La Roche, Geoffroi I de Charny and the “Missing Years” of the Holy Shroud (English Only) by Alessandro Piana (Italy) [Via Academia.edu]
• Las lesiones punzantes en el cuero cabelludo (Sólo en Español) by Alfonso Sánchez Hermosilla and Antonio Gómez Gómez (Spain)
• Observations regarding the blood stains and body image on the Turin Shroud - (En Español) by Dr. Andrew Silverman (England)

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Official Group Photograph © CES

We also got to do some sightseeing! This is a modern, aquatic themed building near the harbor in Valencia.

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