ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — A crucifix known as the Ricci Crucifix is now on display in Orange County as part of Othonia’s Shroud exhibit installations, joining related display settings in Rome. In Orange County, it is installed inside “The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience” at Christ Cathedral. In Rome, a Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum press release lists “the Crucifix by Monsignor Giulio Ricci” among works placed in the permanent exhibition context there.
The crucifix is named for Monsignor Giulio Ricci, described in Orange County exhibit materials as a former Vatican archivist and a prominent expert in sindonology, the study of the Shroud of Turin. Multiple sources describe Ricci as a longtime Shroud researcher who wrote and lectured extensively over decades, and who also served as president of the Roman Centre of Sindonology. He died in 1995.
In Orange County, the Ricci Crucifix is presented as a Shroud-informed depiction of the Passion. The Diocese of Orange’s exhibit coverage says the figure is intentionally graphic, showing “around 300 wounds” and referencing “more than 100 scourgings,” and notes it is placed in a tucked-away corner so visitors can choose whether to view it. A short video from the Diocese documents the blessing of the crucifix on site.
Exhibit organizers describe the Orange County piece as a replica of a crucifix originally made by Ricci, intended to translate Shroud wound details into a form that many visitors already recognize. In both Rome and Orange County, the Ricci Crucifix functions as a supporting object within a broader Shroud exhibit format, tying together devotional art and claims of anatomical consistency drawn from Shroud-based study.