Born in Faenza, Italy, he came to Japan in 1926 as a missionary for the Salesian Order, which focuses on the training of young people. He devoted himself to music and prayer, as well as to establishing churches, schools and orphanages, and did his utmost to evangelize Japan, before passing away in 1965. In 1991, the Church declared him "Venerable," acknowledging that he lived a heroic life of the virtues of "faith, hope and charity." Father Cimatti's body is enshrined in the Seminary Memorial Chapel. When an autopsy was performed 12 years after his death, it was confirmed that his body had not decayed and that his skin was still elastic, and he is still placed in a sarcophagus in the Memorial Chapel.

This museum was built in 1983 on the grounds of the Salesio Seminary to commemorate the virtues of Father Cimatti and to preserve and study his materials. On the first floor is a music archive with a collection of over 950 pieces composed by his master. Halfway up the stairs are photographs from his time in Italy, and on the second floor are many exhibits, including his research and collections as a doctor of natural sciences, his maestro diplomas on music theory, harmony, and other drafts and handwritten notes on all areas of music, as well as 6,300 letters collected to date, and an introduction to his missionary life in Japan.

The gravestone that stands quietly in front of the museum is that of Father Giuseppe Chiara, who was the model for Rodrigo, the protagonist of Shusaku Endo's "Silence." In the 17th century, there was a "Kirishima House" near Myogadani Station in Bunkyo Ward, where ten missionary priests who renounced their faith in 1643 were interred. Father Chiara died of illness in 1685 and was buried at Koishikawa Muryoin Temple, but in 1943 Father Tassinari of the Salesian Society discovered the gravestone and moved it to Chofu Theological Seminary. It is currently designated as a cultural property of Chofu City.

According to the Bible, Jesus' body was wrapped in "linen, sindum, and shroud." The shroud, which is said to have been preserved, is in Turin, northern Italy, and a replica is on display at the Cathedral in Chofu (only at Chofu Church in Japan). The shroud bears the same bloodstains as Jesus', including the crucifixion, scourging, crown of thorns, nail marks, and piercing wounds to the chest, and records the suffering and resurrection of Jesus.

Holy Shroud Website

( https://sindon-jp.com/ )