138 Items Tagged

Relics

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.

Relics of the Apostle St. Thomas

The relics of one of Jesus' 12 apostles are enshrined in this Italian Basilica.

Only the Vatican Has More Christian Relics Than Pittsburgh

St. Anthony’s chapel is home to some 5,000 important relics.

Susanna Weyandt October 17, 2016

The Not-Quite Incorruptible St. Bernadette of Lourdes

Perhaps the most beautiful of preserved saints, with a little help from Paris.

Horned Madonna of Portinari Chapel

The odd depiction of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus is rooted in the Catholic Church's eradication of Catharism.

Chiusdino, Italy

The Sword in the Stone at Montesiepi Chapel

This sword isn't waiting for a king to pull it out. It was placed there by a saint.

This 680-Year-Old Saint’s Hand Has Never Decomposed

Elizabeth of Aragon's incorrupt appendage is temporarily on view in Portugal.

Rafaela Ferraz July 12, 2016

Aksum, Ethiopia

Chapel of the Tablet

Supposedly this Ethiopian chapel holds the Ark of the Covenant, guarded by virgins who cannot leave the building.

Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany

Jeweled Skeletons of the Fürstenfeld Abbey

These blingy, baubled skeletons lie in glass boxes inside a baroque Bavarian church.

Munich, Germany

The Relics of Munich Residenz

This magnificent museum claims to house the cranium of a disciple and the skull of a pope.

Rott am Inn, Germany

Skeletons of Rott am Inn

These jeweled relics have a scandalous and contested past.

Miracle Towns: Where Plastic Junk Becomes Holy Relics

Sarah Laskow September 23, 2015

12 Papal Miracles: An Unscientific Ranking

Sarah Laskow September 22, 2015

100 Wonders: The Middle Finger of Modernity

Dylan Thuras August 6, 2015

FOUND: The Holy Grail

Sarah Laskow June 30, 2015

anatomy museums

Rasputin Was Poisoned, Shot, Beaten, and Drowned. But Did His Penis Survive?

Answering the big question about Gregori Rasputin's penis.

Kristin Winet June 24, 2015

Chignahuapan, Mexico

Iglesia del Honguito

Visit this small Mexican church to pray to a mushroom that is supposedly marked with the image of Christ.