This medieval town situated in central Italy, near the Adriatic Sea, is the destination of many devout pilgrims who know it as the place where the Catholic Church recognizes the first Eucharist Miracle having occurred.

In the early 700’s A.D., a Basilian monk had been having serious doubts that the bread really became the body of Christ and the wine became the blood of Christ at the time of consecration in the mass. One day his doubt about this occurred at the moment he was pronouncing the holy words and holding up the host. Before his eyes and those of the people present, the host became flesh. This was followed by holding up the cup of wine and witnessing it turn to a substance that resembled blood. The blood coagulated into five globules, irregular and differing in shape and size yet all weighing the same. The people in attendance cried in wonder as they saw the physical changes made to the bread and wine. For 1300 years, through oral tradition and writings dating from the 1500’s, the populace of Lanciano and its surroundings have believed in this miracle

There have been many investigations of this event by scientists and church officials over the last four hundred years in an effort to explain scientifically what many have believed through faith.  Each study has resulted in the same conclusions. The flesh was found to be human muscular tissue from the heart wall, type AB, and to be free of any agents used to preserve the flesh. Scientific examinations of the blood found it to be human blood, type AB, and to contain proteins and minerals typically found in human blood. The weight of all five globules is the same as the weight of each globule individually which adds to the wonder of this event.

The flesh and blood of this miracle can be seen today and draws pilgrims from all over Europe and beyond. The flesh, which is the same size as the large host used by the priest today in the Catholic mass can be viewed in a monstrance and the blood in a glass vessel. This reliquary resides at the back of the high altar of the Church of San Francesco and people can walk to that area to view and pray before the miracle. Below the church, visitors can also walk though the ancient church where the original altar is maintained. Mass is celebrated here on special occasions. (see A Walking Tour of Lanciano on this site for the location of this church).

To this day, this miracle is so regarded as true and holy that busloads of pilgrims come regularly to this small city in Abruzzo. If you “google” Lanciano, the first and many responses are about this Eucharistic miracle that happened back in the 8th century.

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