The site of the 1263 Eucharistic miracle in Bolsena

The Basilica of Santa Cristina in Bolsena, Italy, is best known as the site where the Eucharistic miracle of 1263 happened. This Catholic basilica has a long history, having been consecrated by Pope Gregory VII in 1077. The façade was commissioned by Pope Leo X and completed between 1492 and 1494 with designs by Francesco and Benedetto Buglioni. The two portals feature polychrome lunettes by Florentine artists in the style of Della Robbia.

To the left of the façade is the late-baroque external entrance to the Chapel of the Miracle. The tall 13th-century belltower features Romanesque mullioned windows. Inside, the basilica has three naves with frescoes from the 14th through 16th centuries. The main altar houses a polyptych from circa 1450 by Sano di Pietro. To the right of the nave are two chapels: the Chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento, which has a tabernacle by Buglioni, and a chapel dedicated to St Lucy featuring 15th-century frescoes by Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari and a bust of the saint by Buglioni.

To the left of the nave, one can access the Chapel of the Miracle through a marble portal. This chapel is now enveloped in a large late-Baroque-style chapel with a cylindrical dome designed by Tommaso Mattei. The main altarpiece depicts the miracle, painted by Francesco Trevisani. Below the painting, a gilded frame created in 1940 holds the blood-stained stone, which is supposedly a relic of the miracle. The Eucharist itself is on display in the Orvieto Cathedral.

Next to this chapel is the entrance to the Grotto of Santa Cristina, which contains paleochristian burials. The chapel features a terracotta icon of the saint by Benedetto Buglioni, showing her alongside the rock used during her failed martyrdom at the age of 11. There is also a wall supposedly showing the footprints of the saint from her failed drowning. Below the Buglioni statue is the 4th-century sarcophagus which held the relics of the saint.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons