The Chronovisor: The Truth Behind this Secret Time Machine

From The Time Machine of HG Wells to the Delorean of Back to the Future, the idea of a machine capable of physically moving through time has long captured the human imagination. But what if there was a device capable of peering into the past without travelling there? If the stories are to be believed, the Chronovisor is exactly that.

Allegedly built in the mid-20th century, the legend states that it was hidden away by the Vatican to protect its secrets. Though shrouded in scepticism and controversy, the story of Father Ernetti’s Chronovisor continues to intrigue. But is it based on real science or just fanciful fiction? That’s what we’re here to find out.

Born in October 1925, Father Pellegrino Ernetti was a Benedictine priest, exorcist, linguist, and a recognised musicologist with an interest in physics. He was also the self-proclaimed inventor of the Chronovisor, a device that was said to be able to display events from the past, like a television tuned to history. With its help, users could reportedly witness moments such as ancient Roman rituals or even the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

In the early 1960s, Ernetti was in Venice when he befriended a French priest by the name of Father François Brune. In 2002, Brune published Ernetti’s story in the book Le Nouveau Mystère du Vatican, or The Vatican’s New Mystery.

As a scholar of archaic music, Ernetti’s work involved reconstructing sounds from the past. It was this that led him to develop the foundational principle of the Chronovisor: that every event leaves behind both visual and auditory energy traces. And that these energy traces could be used to recall the original event.

Father Ernetti claimed that he worked with a team of twelve prominent scientists to design and build the Chronovisor in the 1950s.

A combination of antennae, cathode ray tubes, and other electronics, Father Ernetti’s Chronovisor apparently reconstructed electromagnetic waves and sound frequencies from the past, rendering them into sound, images, and audio. By tuning into specific time periods, it supposedly allowed users to observe historical events with complete accuracy. So, what events did Ernetti and his time team allegedly witness?

By his account, Father Ernetti viewed several significant moments in history, including monumental religious and cultural events. Among the most astonishing claims was that the device allowed him to witness the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Ernetti detailed observations of Christ’s appearance, his surroundings, and even the expressions of those present at the event.

The Chronovisor was also said to have revealed other historical scenes, such as Cicero delivering a speech in ancient Rome and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was even claimed to have reconstructed lost works of art and literature. One of Ernetti’s most famous assertions was that he used the device to recover the entirety of Thyestes, a lost tragedy by the Roman playwright Quintus Ennius.

So, did Ernetti ever provide evidence of his claims? Well, the device itself has never been seen by third parties, having apparently been stored in the Vatican’s secret archives. But other proof was seemingly forthcoming, including Chronovisor pictures and texts.

The Chronovisor legend gained popularity among its supporters when Father Ernetti presented what he claimed were tangible proofs of the device’s capabilities. One of the most famous examples was a photograph showing the face of Jesus during the crucifixion. The image was purportedly taken using the Chronovisor, but sceptics later pointed out its striking resemblance to a postcard of a statue from an Italian church.

Similarly, Father Ernetti’s transcription of Thyestes faced heavy criticism from scholars. Linguists argued that the style of the text was inconsistent with what would be expected from ancient Roman literature, suggesting it was likely a modern fabrication.

The Vatican’s alleged role in the story adds another layer of mystery. Ernetti claimed that after the Chronovisor was completed, it was dismantled and hidden within the Vatican’s secret archives. This was supposedly done to prevent misuse of the device, which could have been exploited for political, military, or financial gain.

This element of secrecy has fuelled numerous conspiracy theories. Some suggest the Vatican continues to use Father Ernetti’s Chronovisor to observe critical moments in history. The Vatican has never stated anything about the existence or otherwise of the Chronovisor, but its reputation for safeguarding sensitive information in its archives has only heightened speculation.

Despite the enduring fascination with the Chronovisor, scientific scrutiny has exposed significant flaws in its theoretical foundations. The notion that electromagnetic radiation or sound waves from the past could be captured in such detail contradicts the known principles of physics. Energy dissipates over time, and isolating specific historical signals amidst the noise of Earth’s environment would be an insurmountable challenge.

Then there’s the lack of verified evidence. Aside from the alleged Chronovisor photos, which were discredited, nobody has ever seen the device itself. So, while the story of Pellegrino Ernetti’s Chronovisor is captivating, it’s widely regarded as a modern myth rather than a scientific reality.

Shortly before his death on 8 April 1994, Ernetti reportedly admitted to fabricating parts of the Chronovisor story. However, some argue that this confession may have been coerced or misinterpreted. Supporters of the Chronovisor legend point out that Ernetti maintained the existence of the device until his final days, leaving the truth unclear.

The story of Father Ernetti’s Chronovisor continues to captivate the imagination of conspiracy theorists, historians, and science fiction enthusiasts. In recent years, the legend has continued to intrigue, inspiring numerous books, documentaries, and online discussions.