In the editorial, Francesco Violi notes that CISS gathered in Turin on May 16, 2026, for its Ordinary General Assembly. The meeting included discussion of new collaborations, including a partnership with the Polytechnic University of Turin focused on the preservation and accessibility of the Shroud. It also addressed recent DNA studies, the linen and its weave, bloodstains, conservation, and future public exhibitions.
A major science feature in this issue, written by Paolo Di Lazzaro, Marco Ricci, and Enrico Simonato, explains the chemistry of the Shroud image in accessible terms. The article compares the surface-level effects of ultraviolet light with deeper thermal damage, then explains why the Shroud image remains difficult to reproduce at the microscopic level.