The article summarizes the development of scientific research on the Shroud, a well-known ancient burial sheet of sundefined dating, and the events that led to the direct examinations of the artifact performed by various researchers between 8 and 15 October 1978. On that occasion one of us took 12 threads and from various sites previously considered relevant. The results of the morphological examinations, both with the otic microscope and with the SEM as well as microanalysis, were communicated during the session of May 6th 1981 of the Academy of Medicine of Torino. Immediately after these withdrawals and in the following years we proceeded to aspirate the dust trapped in the fabric and to various interventions, until in 2002 an organic restoration was carried out. Therefore the preparations of 1978 are the only evidence of the original situation of the fabric of the Shroud. It seemed therefore important to proceed, after forty years, to review the slides and stubs prepared then with optical microscopes, SEM and modern rx microanalyzers. It was thus ascertained that the greater part of the damages of the Shroud was due to the elevated temperature of a fire to which it was exposed in 1532, the nature of linen of the fibers that constitute the threads of the fabric with the mixture of cotton fibers is to the extent of about 2 %, the sense and degree of twisting of weft and warp threads, the presence of traces of gold and silver also referable to the fire of 1532, traces of modern industrial pollution, infesting mites and pollen.