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Relics and Reliquaries

Sarsina Cathedral

Sarsina Cathedral

The collar worn by a fourth-century saint resides in this church, and is still used for blessings to this day.

The cliffs by the sanctuary. The entrance to the steps is located behind the trees.

Castel Sant'Elia, Italy

Pontificio Santuario Maria SS "ad Rupes" (Pontifical Sanctuary of Maria SS. ad Rupes)

A monk spent 14 years carving steps through tuff to make this religious site more accessible to pilgrims.

The reliquary containing the arm of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Arm of St. Thomas Aquinas

The remains of the left arm of the levitating philosopher-saint are kept in a 13th-century Neapolitan basilica.

The Shrine of Oliver Plunkett.

Drogheda, Ireland

St. Oliver Plunkett's Head

The severed head of a 17th-century Irish martyr lies within an intricate golden shrine.

Catacombs of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Catacombs of Washington, D.C.

Franciscan monks created a facsimile of the Holy Land for North Americans who couldn’t afford the trip overseas.

Anna Maria Taigi

The Wax-Encased Remains of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi

The mystic whose incorrupt corpse still attracts the faithful.

Don Bosco, Patron Saint of Stage Magicians

Stolen Saint Brains Have Been Found in a Thief's Kettle

The brains of the patron saint of stage magicians have been recovered.

Eric Grundhauser June 16, 2017

Saint Cyprian the Mage's arm in the reliquary at Zlătari Church

Bucharest, Romania

Relics of Zlătari Church

The preserved arm of a third-century sorcerer is believed to have the power to lift curses and spells.

Saint Ubaldo

Basilica of the Mummified Saint Ubaldo

The venerated body of a 12th century saint is celebrated each year with the 'Race of the Candles.'

The inscription from a 1375 John Barbour poem translates to, "A noble heart can know no ease without freedom."

Melrose, Scotland

Robert the Bruce's Heart

The heart of a Scottish legend had a centuries-long journey before reaching its final resting place.

King Richard the Lionheart's heart is entombed beneath his effigy.

King Richard I's Embalmed Heart

His "Lionheart" is entombed separately from the rest of his body.

The church sits just outside the Vatican on the grounds of the Russian Embassy.

Saint Catherine Russian Orthodox Church

The first Russian Orthodox church in the Catholic city of Rome in almost a thousand years.

Reliquaries of St Mark's Basilica Treasury

An extensive collection of reliquaries containing the bones of saints housed in the largest Catholic church in Venice.

Exterior, arches

San Thome Basilica

This Gothic-style church is reputedly built atop the remains of one of Jesus's apostles.

Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

At the crypt of St. Mary of Eulogies and the Dead you are left alone to ponder mortality among piles of skulls.

Dargavs

Dargavs, Russia

Dargavs Village

This ancient village and its adjoining cemetery have a beautiful history of death and remembrance.

Human Skeletons in Skeleton Lake in Roopkund

Skeletons of Roopkund Lake

A lake with hundreds of ancient skeletons surrounding it. The surprise is what killed them.

Permanently Closed

Wild Bill's Nostalgia Store

Middletown, Connecticut

Wild Bill's Nostalgia Store

A reliquary of pop culture marvels, including the world's largest (and most terrifying) Jack-in-the-Box.