The Corporal of Bolsena dates from a Eucharistic miracle in Bolsena, Italy, in 1263 when a consecrated host began to bleed onto a corporal, the small cloth upon which the host and chalice rest during
This is the blood-stained linen corporal brought to Orvieto from Bolsena.
A tapestry depicting the Miracle of Bolsena as part of the Corpus Christi procession in Orvieto
The Corporal of Bolsena processing out of Orvieto's Duomo as part of Corpus Christi celebrations
"Bloody bread": S. marcescens growing on bread
Orvieto Cathedral is a large 14th-century Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and situated in the town of Orvieto in Umbria, central Italy. Since 1986, the cathedra
Corporal of Bolsena
…and Blood of Christ at the moment of consecration during the Mass. Today, the Corporal of Bolsena is preserved in a rich reliquary at Orvieto in the cathedral. The reddish spots on the cloth, upon close observation, show the profile of a face similar to those that traditionally represent Jesus Christ. It is…
Coronation of the Virgin mosaic on the top gable of the cathedral
Marble Pieta, Madonna Mourning the Crucified Jesus with St. Nicodemus