In Naples it happened again on tuesday Blood miracle from the city saint März – in Italy he is called Gennaro – occurred. During a ceremony at the cathedral it liquefied into a Glass ampoule dried blood preserved from martyr.
For centuries, the blood of the city’s patron saint was liquefied on September 19th and on two other dates: the Saturday before the first Sunday in May, the feast of the transfer of the relics to Naples, and on December 16th, the day on which the commemorates a warning about Mount Vesuvius. Eruption in 1631.
Tradition since the Middle Ages
In 1389 it was first observed that this blood liquefied and then solidified again. This “miracle” has been repeated regularly since 1610. The relic is transported from its storage location to the high altar of San Gennaro in Naples Cathedral.
According to tradition, Bishop Janarius was beheaded at Pozzuoli, near Naples, on September 19, 305, during the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Diocletian. Today the patron saint’s feast is celebrated on this day.
That’s what’s behind it
Science has already investigated the miracle of blood and found an explanation for liquefaction. There is a chemical substance in the ampoule that is also detected in the blood.
It is a gel made from iron trichloride, water and eggshell lime – substances already known in the Middle Ages. If you shake this gel, it liquefies. So it’s a simple chemical reaction.
tradition
Of course, the Neapolitans don’t want to believe this – nor does the Vatican. Requests for scientists to open the flask and examine the liquid were never allowed by the church.
For Neapolitans, the liquefaction of blood is a good thing. In recent years, the blood miracle has not occurred four times: in 1980 and 2016, as well as in 2020 and 2021, the blood remained dry. No explanation has been found for this – it is speculated that there was not enough shaking.