Duomo di Orvieto

Europe is full of amazing Catholic churches and shrines, and one of my goals while here in Italy is to see as many of them as possible. On June 7, while driving back from Venice, we made a pit stop in Orvieto.

Here, we had the privilege of visiting the Duomo di Orvieto, a beautiful Catholic cathedral, which was built under the orders of Pope Urban IV to commemorate the Miracle of Bolsena. The facts are sketchy and inconsistent, but legend has it that in 1263 a priest stopped in Bolsena while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He was struggling with his faith, and was doubting the truth of transubstantiation, that the Eucharist is actually Christ. While celebrating mass at Saint Christina’s Basilica, at the moment of consecration, the host began to bleed onto the corporal (the small cloth upon which the host and chalice rest during mass). It is said that upon close observation, the blood on the corporal shows the profile of a face resembling Christ. The priest then traveled to nearby Orvieto, where Pope Urban IV resided, to tell him the tale. After immediate investigation, the Pope declared it a miracle and ordered the building of the Duomo di Orvieto to house the corporal.