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0 / 29 Fotos
Mouth of Truth
- Still, if you you are in the area and pop into the basilica, why nor also pay a visit to the famous Bocca della Verità ("Mouth of Truth")?
© Getty Images
1 / 29 Fotos
Mouth of Truth
- The Mouth of Truth will supposedly bite your hand off if you tell a lie. So, looking at a saint's skull and getting your hand bitten off by a giant marble mask—not a bad day out, right?
© Getty Images
2 / 29 Fotos
Saint Catherine of Siena
- Saint Catherine of Siena started having visions of Jesus when she was a child and was eventually canonized in 1461. You can see her head at Saint Dominic's Basilica in Siena, Italy.
© Getty Images
3 / 29 Fotos
Saint Catherine of Siena
- And if her head is not enough, Saint Catherine of Siena's hand is also on display.
© Getty Images
4 / 29 Fotos
The skull of Saint Valentine
- Who said romance is dead? Instead of celebrating Valentine's the traditional way, why not head to the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, and pay a visit to the saint's skull?
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
The skull of Saint Valentine
- Though no one can tell for sure if this is the real skull of the original patron saint of lovers. This is because there are more than one Saint Valentine, and because there are more churches claiming to hold the saint's relics.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Saint Clare of Assisi
- A follower of Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare went on to found the Order of Poor Ladies. Interestingly, she's the patron saint of television and computer screens!
© Public Domain
7 / 29 Fotos
Saint Clare of Assisi
- Saint Clare of Assisi was also known for her beautiful hair, so in addition to her other body remains, Saint Clare's hair is also kept at Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi, Italy.
© Getty Images
8 / 29 Fotos
Hairs of Muhammad's beard
- This glass reliquary containing hairs of Muhammad's beard is kept at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It was supposedly cut posthumously by his barber, Salman the Persian.
© Getty Images
9 / 29 Fotos
Buddha's tooth
- How would you like to check out a tooth that reportedly keeps growing and has healing powers?
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
Buddha's tooth
- But there's a twist: various places claim to have the real relic. This specific magic 2-inch-long (5 cm) molar is kept in a Buddhist temple in Rosemead, California. But the Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka also claims to hold one.
© Getty Images
11 / 29 Fotos
Buddha's tooth
- But there's more! Singapore also claims to hold Siddhartha Gautama's remains at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. And if you thought the other tooth was long, the one housed here measures nearly 3 inches (7.5 cm)!
© Getty Images
12 / 29 Fotos
The blood of Saint Januarius
- Former bishop Januarius died circa 305 CE as a martyr. He is a saint of the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
© Getty Images
13 / 29 Fotos
The blood of Saint Januarius
- Januarius' ancient blood is said to turn liquid when it's placed near his skull; a ritual that is still performed to this day.
© Getty Images
14 / 29 Fotos
The blood of Saint Januarius
- The solid blood is also said to liquify on other occasions, such as when the Pope visited Naples.
© Getty Images
15 / 29 Fotos
The tongue of Saint Anthony
- Saint Anthony of Padua died in 1231, but upon exhumation apparently all his body had decomposed, other than his tongue, jaw, and vocal cords. The miracle was attributed to his amazing oratorical skills.
© Getty Images
16 / 29 Fotos
The tongue of Saint Anthony
- The tongue (along with other parts) are still kept in Padua to this day. This is a drawing of the reliquary of the incorrupt tongue of Saint Anthony.
© Getty Images
17 / 29 Fotos
The tongue of Saint Anthony
- These relics actually go on tour. Here's a golden statuette containing the tongue, vocal cards, and floating rib of Saint Anthony, at Saint Mary's Basilica in Secunderabad, India.
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Muhammad's footprint
- The beard of prophet Muhammad is not the only important relic in the Muslim world. His footprint is also kept.
© Getty Images
19 / 29 Fotos
Muhammad's footprint
- For instance, Muhammad's footprints can be found at the aforementioned Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, at the Shrine of the Holy Footprint in Delhi, India, and at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
© Getty Images
20 / 29 Fotos
The heart of Saint Camillus
- Roman Catholic priest Camillus de Lellis is known for taking care of the sick and for being the founder of the religious order of the Camillians. He was canonized in 1746 and became the patron saint of the sick and medical professionals.
© Public Domain
21 / 29 Fotos
The heart of Saint Camillus
- Saint Camillus had such a generous heart that it was actually preserved after he died. The heart relic is kept at the generalate house of the Order of the Ministers of the Sick (the Camillians), but has toured other countries, such as the Philippines.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
The Mandylion
- The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth containing the negative image (dark where it should be bright) of a man. This man is believed to be Jesus, and this was supposedly his burial cloth. But before the Shroud, there was the Mandylion, also known as the Image of Edessa.
© Getty Images
23 / 29 Fotos
The Mandylion
- The Mandylion is essentially a piece of cloth with the face of Jesus imprinted. The image is believed to be the oldest depiction of Christ in the world.
© Getty Images
24 / 29 Fotos
The Mandylion
- The Mandylion is kept at the Redemptoris Mater Chapel, formerly known as the Matilde Chapel, in the Vatican Palace.
© Getty Images
25 / 29 Fotos
The milk of the Virgin Mary
- The milk of the Virgin Mary was good enough for the son of God, so it must have some amazing properties, right? Well, a 12th-century miracle tells us that indeed it does.
© Getty Images
26 / 29 Fotos
The milk of the Virgin Mary
- Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to monk Bernard of Clairvaux and sprinkled milk into his mouth, which cured an eye infection and granted him wisdom. This miracle is known as the Lactation of Saint Bernard.
© Getty Images
27 / 29 Fotos
The milk of the Virgin Mary
- While you can't travel back in time to the 12th century and witness the miracle, you can visit the Milk Grotto, near Bethlehem. This is where supposedly Our Lady spilled a drop of milk and turned the stone there white. Sources: (Grunge) See also: History's most bizarre curses
© Getty Images
28 / 29 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Mouth of Truth
- Still, if you you are in the area and pop into the basilica, why nor also pay a visit to the famous Bocca della Verità ("Mouth of Truth")?
© Getty Images
1 / 29 Fotos
Mouth of Truth
- The Mouth of Truth will supposedly bite your hand off if you tell a lie. So, looking at a saint's skull and getting your hand bitten off by a giant marble mask—not a bad day out, right?
© Getty Images
2 / 29 Fotos
Saint Catherine of Siena
- Saint Catherine of Siena started having visions of Jesus when she was a child and was eventually canonized in 1461. You can see her head at Saint Dominic's Basilica in Siena, Italy.
© Getty Images
3 / 29 Fotos
Saint Catherine of Siena
- And if her head is not enough, Saint Catherine of Siena's hand is also on display.
© Getty Images
4 / 29 Fotos
The skull of Saint Valentine
- Who said romance is dead? Instead of celebrating Valentine's the traditional way, why not head to the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, and pay a visit to the saint's skull?
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
The skull of Saint Valentine
- Though no one can tell for sure if this is the real skull of the original patron saint of lovers. This is because there are more than one Saint Valentine, and because there are more churches claiming to hold the saint's relics.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Saint Clare of Assisi
- A follower of Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare went on to found the Order of Poor Ladies. Interestingly, she's the patron saint of television and computer screens!
© Public Domain
7 / 29 Fotos
Saint Clare of Assisi
- Saint Clare of Assisi was also known for her beautiful hair, so in addition to her other body remains, Saint Clare's hair is also kept at Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi, Italy.
© Getty Images
8 / 29 Fotos
Hairs of Muhammad's beard
- This glass reliquary containing hairs of Muhammad's beard is kept at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It was supposedly cut posthumously by his barber, Salman the Persian.
© Getty Images
9 / 29 Fotos
Buddha's tooth
- How would you like to check out a tooth that reportedly keeps growing and has healing powers?
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
Buddha's tooth
- But there's a twist: various places claim to have the real relic. This specific magic 2-inch-long (5 cm) molar is kept in a Buddhist temple in Rosemead, California. But the Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka also claims to hold one.
© Getty Images
11 / 29 Fotos
Buddha's tooth
- But there's more! Singapore also claims to hold Siddhartha Gautama's remains at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. And if you thought the other tooth was long, the one housed here measures nearly 3 inches (7.5 cm)!
© Getty Images
12 / 29 Fotos
The blood of Saint Januarius
- Former bishop Januarius died circa 305 CE as a martyr. He is a saint of the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
© Getty Images
13 / 29 Fotos
The blood of Saint Januarius
- Januarius' ancient blood is said to turn liquid when it's placed near his skull; a ritual that is still performed to this day.
© Getty Images
14 / 29 Fotos
The blood of Saint Januarius
- The solid blood is also said to liquify on other occasions, such as when the Pope visited Naples.
© Getty Images
15 / 29 Fotos
The tongue of Saint Anthony
- Saint Anthony of Padua died in 1231, but upon exhumation apparently all his body had decomposed, other than his tongue, jaw, and vocal cords. The miracle was attributed to his amazing oratorical skills.
© Getty Images
16 / 29 Fotos
The tongue of Saint Anthony
- The tongue (along with other parts) are still kept in Padua to this day. This is a drawing of the reliquary of the incorrupt tongue of Saint Anthony.
© Getty Images
17 / 29 Fotos
The tongue of Saint Anthony
- These relics actually go on tour. Here's a golden statuette containing the tongue, vocal cards, and floating rib of Saint Anthony, at Saint Mary's Basilica in Secunderabad, India.
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Muhammad's footprint
- The beard of prophet Muhammad is not the only important relic in the Muslim world. His footprint is also kept.
© Getty Images
19 / 29 Fotos
Muhammad's footprint
- For instance, Muhammad's footprints can be found at the aforementioned Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, at the Shrine of the Holy Footprint in Delhi, India, and at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
© Getty Images
20 / 29 Fotos
The heart of Saint Camillus
- Roman Catholic priest Camillus de Lellis is known for taking care of the sick and for being the founder of the religious order of the Camillians. He was canonized in 1746 and became the patron saint of the sick and medical professionals.
© Public Domain
21 / 29 Fotos
The heart of Saint Camillus
- Saint Camillus had such a generous heart that it was actually preserved after he died. The heart relic is kept at the generalate house of the Order of the Ministers of the Sick (the Camillians), but has toured other countries, such as the Philippines.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
The Mandylion
- The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth containing the negative image (dark where it should be bright) of a man. This man is believed to be Jesus, and this was supposedly his burial cloth. But before the Shroud, there was the Mandylion, also known as the Image of Edessa.
© Getty Images
23 / 29 Fotos
The Mandylion
- The Mandylion is essentially a piece of cloth with the face of Jesus imprinted. The image is believed to be the oldest depiction of Christ in the world.
© Getty Images
24 / 29 Fotos
The Mandylion
- The Mandylion is kept at the Redemptoris Mater Chapel, formerly known as the Matilde Chapel, in the Vatican Palace.
© Getty Images
25 / 29 Fotos
The milk of the Virgin Mary
- The milk of the Virgin Mary was good enough for the son of God, so it must have some amazing properties, right? Well, a 12th-century miracle tells us that indeed it does.
© Getty Images
26 / 29 Fotos
The milk of the Virgin Mary
- Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to monk Bernard of Clairvaux and sprinkled milk into his mouth, which cured an eye infection and granted him wisdom. This miracle is known as the Lactation of Saint Bernard.
© Getty Images
27 / 29 Fotos
The milk of the Virgin Mary
- While you can't travel back in time to the 12th century and witness the miracle, you can visit the Milk Grotto, near Bethlehem. This is where supposedly Our Lady spilled a drop of milk and turned the stone there white. Sources: (Grunge) See also: History's most bizarre curses
© Getty Images
28 / 29 Fotos
The world's most intriguing religious relics
From tongues to teeth!
© Getty Images
Many religious relics have been kept over the centuries, and many of these are not only considered sacred, but they're also believed to have special powers. A tooth that keeps growing? How about 1700-year-old blood that liquefies? As odd as they sound, these religious relics are treasured and venerated by millions of people.
Click through the following gallery and discover the world's most intriguing religious relics.
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