Category: Myths and religions

The Ark of the Covenant, historical truths and legends

Within the collective imaginary of humanity, the Ark of the Covenant is the ultimate sacred object. It is the mystical artefact that has elicited the most profound fascination and mystery throughout the ages. However, no one knows what became of this container, altar of the divine manifestation of YHWH, memorial of the law given to…
The Holy Face of Lucca, between history and science

During the Middle Ages, one of the most important and revered relics in Europe was located in Lucca. Kept in the Cathedral of San Martino, the Holy Face was more than just a wooden crucifix for the faithful. According to tradition, it was an acheiropoieta icon, not made by human hand but generated by divine…
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the village of the Holy Marys in Provence

The ancient village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer lies in the Camargue region, where the waters of the Rhône meet the Mediterranean. The wind rustles through the picturesque alleys, sweeping the fine sand of the wild, unspoilt coastline and ruffling the manes of white horses along the shore. The muffled sound of the galloping is accompanied by the…
The Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur in Aix-en-Provence

In the cathedral of Saint-Sauveur in Aix-en-Provence, echoes of legend rise from afar. As if carried by the wind, they tell of a distant and blurred past. Of when there were not yet the soaring spires of the Gothic elevation but only the small oratory of Saint-Sauveur. According to tradition, Bishop Maximinus commissioned the construction…
The False Gospel of Jesus’ wife

During the International Conference on Coptic Studies in Rome in September 2012, Karen L. King, a scholar and professor at Harvard Divinity School, presented a discovery: a papyrus containing an unpublished passage from the Gospel. The document, called the “Gospel of Jesus’ wife” came from a private collection. It had been passed from person to…
The ghost of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence

Palazzo Grifoni is a historic building in Florence overlooking the square of Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. It has a window with a very unusual history. For decades, it has always been open, rain or shine. However, no one has lived in the flat for a long time. This seemingly bizarre detail actually conceals a mysterious…
Archangel Michael, the origins of the cult

A sword stroke resounds in the air; as if driven by tongues of unquenchable fire, it shakes the powers of heaven. The wings of Archangel Michael open mightily, his loose hair is shaken by an imperious quiver. Terrible in his gait, he hurls himself at the enemy with a battle cry: “Mīkā’el, who is like…
The Sanctuary of Saint Michael on Mount Gargano

The monumental St. Michael’s Cave, on the Gargano promontory in northern Apulia, is a holy place since time immemorial. It is the place where the Sublime and the encounter with the divine are manifested. According to tradition, the cave was chosen by Archangel Michael, the commander of the celestial militia, as a house of worship…
La Verna Sanctuary, there is not a more holy mountain

The Sanctuary of La Verna is not only a physical place. It is the witness of something that dwells in the soul, of a mystery that no man could explain. In its intimate silences, verdant woods, among rocks of mystical essence, St. Francis received the stigmata on September 14, 1224, as historiography attests1. On the…
The Sanctuary of Oropa, nigra sum sed formosa

A well-established folk tradition, widespread among the valleys of Biella in Piedmont, states that Saint Eusebius brought the Black Madonna to the Sanctuary of Oropa. Eusebius, the first bishop of Vercelli since 345, was a fervent opponent of the Arianism. When he refused to subscribe the edicts of the Council of Milan (355), which affirmed…