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Mysterious blood-soaked relic linked to history’s most beloved saint, St. Francis of Assisi, goes on display
An 800-year-old bandage believed to bear the blood of St Francis of Assisi is on display in San Francisco, the first time the relic has left Italy. The exhibition marks 800 years since Francis’s death and may draw visitors from several Christian traditions.
The display runs at the Cathedral of St Mary of the Assumption until 28 November and also includes a painted panel of Francis dating to around 1290. The bandage is linked to the wounds he was said to receive after a vision of an angel, but it has not been scientifically tested, and the reason its blood still looks red is unknown. Historian Candida Moss noted that other objects attributed to Francis have proved inauthentic, including a tunic dated about 150 years after his lifetime.
In short
- St Francis’s bloodstained bandage is displayed outside Italy for the first time.
- The San Francisco exhibition runs until 28 November.
- The relic has not been scientifically tested.