The churches of Rome are filled with countless religious relics. In the Middle Ages, the veneration of relics became mandatory and all churches in Christendom were required to have a sacred relic. Relics can include anything from the body parts of a saint to fragments of the True Cross or pieces of cloth that have been rubbed against a saint’s grave.
Rome has some of the most important and unusual relics, as you can read in the book “An irreverent curiosity: in search of the strangest relic of the Church in the strangest city of Italy”. Inspired by the book, the following list includes some of the sacred relics that you can see in Rome and the Vatican City.
Basilica of Saint Peter
The “Mother Church” was built on the tomb of Saint Peter, the first Pope of the church. The tomb of Saint Peter is located directly below the altar. His grave, as well as the graves of dozens of other popes, including John Paul II, are in the crypt. Some other papal reliquaries, including John XXIII, are on display in the church itself.
San Giovanni in Laterno (Saint John Lateran) and the Sancta Santorum
San Giovanni in Laterano, the church of the Bishop of Rome (that is, the Pope), was the main basilica of the Catholic Church before St. Peter’s Basilica was erected. Together, San Giovanni and the adjacent Sancta Sanctorum, the “Most Holy Place,” contain some of the holiest relics in Rome. The reliquaries include the heads of Saints Peter and Paul; the holy stairs (Scala Santa), taken from the palace of Pontius Pilate; and wood from the table used during the Last Supper.
Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major)
Santa Maria Maggiore, near the Esquiline Hill, has several precious relics. It has the relic of the Holy Cradle, fragments of the Holy Manger, a piece of the True Cross and the tombs of Saint Matthew, Saint Jerome and Pope Pius V.
San Paolo Outside the Walls (San Pablo Extramuros)
The main relics of the Basilica San Paolo Fuori Le Mura are the tomb of Saint Paul and a set of chains said to be the chains of the prison of Saint Paul. Relics of other saints and popes can be seen in the reliquaries housed in the church’s Chapel of Relics.
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Santa Croce in Jerusalem
This large church near San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore houses a number of relics (sometimes disputed) of the Passion of Christ. These include the Titulus Crucis, the inscribed sign that hung over Christ during his crucifixion; two thorns from the crown of thorns of Jesus; and three pieces of the true cross. Here you will also find the finger that doubts Saint Thomas.
Santa Maria in Cosmedin
This church, which also houses the Bocca della Verita, a great photo shoot in Rome, contains the reliquary of St. Valentine that includes the saint’s skull.
San Silvestro in Capite
The “in capite” in the name of this church means “head,” which in this case means the head of John the Baptist. Here a fragment of the saint’s head is kept.
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Saint Catherine, the Patron Saint of Europe, is buried under the altar in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Three ancient popes are also buried here: Leo X, Clement VII and Paul IV.
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San Pietro in Vincoli
This small church near the Colosseum is also known as Saint Peter in Chains because it houses the prison chains of the church’s first pope.
Santa Maria and Aracoeli
The remains of Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine who brought many of the Passion relics from the Holy Land, are kept in this hilltop church near the Capitoline Museums. Pope Honorius IV and Saint Juniper are also buried here.
