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Chiesa delle Sacre Pietre in Bolsena: the Baroque Chapel of the Eucharistic Miracle
The Church of the Sacred Stones forms part of the Basilica of Santa Cristina complex in Bolsena, and contains the blood-stained marble slabs associated with the Eucharistic Miracle of 1263 - the event that led Pope Urban IV to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi. The entrance is from the left aisle, through a medieval portal still commonly known as the Portale della Contessa Matilde (Countess Matilda's Doorway).
A chapel built for the relics
In 1693, the Bishop of Orvieto, with a contribution from Pope Innocent XII, commissioned the construction of a new chapel to provide a fitting setting for the Stones. The project was designed by Roman architect Tommaso Mattei, a pupil of Carlo Rainaldi and Carlo Fontana. The masonry was completed by 1699, while the stucco work by Alberto Cavalli and the vault were finished in 1704. This chapel was only consecrated on 20 May 1726. The Neoclassical façade, with pilaster strips (lesenes) and a large pedimented portal, was completed in 1863 by Virginio Vespignani.
What to see inside
The round hall is surmounted by a dome with a cylindrical drum (tiburio) and lantern. Above the high altar hangs a canvas by Francesco Trevisani depicting the Miracle. Three of the Stones are preserved in a gilded wooden case designed by Vespignani, the fourth is housed in a reliquary of gilded metal and polychrome enamels crafted by Maurizio Ravelli around 1940. From here, one can access the Grotto of Saint Christina and the early Christian catacombs.
