Orthodox holy sites of Europe

Relics of the saints of the undivided Church, relics of the Lord’s Passion and of the Mother of God, ancient monasteries — including those now kept in Catholic and Anglican churches. Choose a country.

Italy

Check access arrangements on the church’s website before travelling.

Bari

Relics of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

The relics, brought from Myra in Lycia in 1087, rest in the crypt of the basilica. An Orthodox chapel in the crypt is used for Orthodox services, and solemn liturgies are celebrated on the saint’s feasts (6/19 December and 9/22 May). The Russian Church’s metochion in Bari welcomes pilgrims.

Where: Basilica of San Nicola
Address: Largo Abate Elia 13, 70122 Bari · on the map
Nearest church: Patriarchal Metochion of Saint Nicholas in Bari, Corso Benedetto Croce 130

Rome

Tomb of the Holy Apostle Peter

The apostle’s tomb lies beneath the basilica’s high altar; the basilica also holds the relics of Saints John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian (partly returned to Constantinople in 2004).

Where: Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican
Address: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Catherine the Great Martyr (Moscow Patriarchate), Via del Lago Terrione 77/79, Rome

Rome

Tomb of the Holy Apostle Paul

The apostle’s sarcophagus lies beneath the papal altar; above it are the chains with which, by tradition, Saint Paul was bound.

Where: Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Address: Piazzale San Paolo 1, 00146 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Relics of Saint Clement of Rome and Saint Cyril, Equal to the Apostles

Beneath the high altar rest the relics of the hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome, brought to Rome by Saints Cyril and Methodius. In the left chapel is the burial place of Saint Cyril († 869), enlightener of the Slavs.

Where: Basilica of San Clemente
Address: Via Labicana 95, 00184 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Relics of Saint Alexis, the Man of God

Beneath the high altar rest the relics of Saints Alexis and Boniface; the church preserves the wooden staircase under which, by tradition, Saint Alexis lived.

Where: Basilica of Sant’Alessio on the Aventine
Address: Piazza di Sant’Alessio 23, 00153 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Venice

Relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark

Translated from Alexandria in 828, they rest beneath the basilica’s high altar.

Where: Saint Mark’s Basilica
Address: Piazza San Marco 328, 30124 Venezia · on the map
Nearest church: Cathedral of Saint George of the Greeks, Castello 3412, Venice

Venice

Relics of the Holy Martyr Lucy of Syracuse

The relics of the saint († 304) were translated from Constantinople in 1204; they rest openly in a glass reliquary in the right chapel.

Where: Church of San Geremia
Address: Campo San Geremia, 30121 Venezia · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women (Moscow Patriarchate), San Zan Degolà church, Santa Croce 1710, Venice

Padua

Relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke

The apostle’s relics (apart from the head, kept in Prague) are in the left transept of the basilica. In 2000 a portion was given to the Church of Greece.

Where: Basilica of Santa Giustina
Address: Via Giuseppe Ferrari 2A (Prato della Valle), 35123 Padova · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of Saint Luke the Apostle and Evangelist (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Oratorio di Santa Margherita, via San Francesco 51, Padua

Milan

Relics of Saint Ambrose of Milan

In the crypt of the basilica rest openly the relics of Saint Ambrose († 397) and the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius.

Where: Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
Address: Piazza Sant’Ambrogio 15, 20123 Milano · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of the Presentation of the Lord (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Santa Maria Podone church, Piazza Borromeo 6, Milan; Parish of Saint Ambrose (Moscow Patriarchate), Largo Corsia dei Servi 4

Turin

The Shroud of Turin

The Shroud is kept in a sealed case in a chapel of the cathedral; public expositions are rare and announced in advance.

Where: Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
Address: Piazza San Giovanni, 10122 Torino · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Ecumenical Patriarchate), via delle Orfane 11, Turin

Amalfi

Relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called

The relics, brought from Constantinople at the beginning of the 13th century (1208), rest in the cathedral crypt. According to local tradition a “manna” (myrrh) flows from them; it is awaited on the eve of the Apostle’s feasts, 30 November and 27 June.

Where: Cathedral of Saint Andrew
Address: Piazza Duomo, 84011 Amalfi · on the map
Nearest church: Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Via dei Greci 51, Naples

Salerno

Relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

The apostle’s relics have been in the crypt of the cathedral since 954.

Where: Salerno Cathedral
Address: Piazza Alfano I, 84125 Salerno · on the map
Nearest church: Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Via dei Greci 51, Naples

Ortona

Relics of the Holy Apostle Thomas

The apostle’s relics, translated from the island of Chios in 1258, rest in the crypt of the basilica.

Where: Basilica of Saint Thomas the Apostle
Address: Piazza San Tommaso, 66026 Ortona · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of Saints Constantine and Helen (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Viale Abruzzo 118, Chieti Scalo

Ancona

Relics of the Hieromartyr Cyriacus, Bishop of Jerusalem

The cathedral overlooks the harbour from the Guasco hill. In the “Crypt of the Patron Saints” a marble urn holds the relics of the Hieromartyr Cyriacus (Judas), who by tradition showed Saint Helen where the Lord’s Cross lay and later became Bishop of Jerusalem (feast 28 October).

Where: Cathedral of San Ciriaco
Address: Piazzale del Duomo, 60121 Ancona · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of Saint Anne (Ecumenical Patriarchate), via Giuseppe Birarelli 3, Ancona

Bivongi

Monastery of Saint John Theristis (the Reaper)

An ancient Italo-Greek monastery in the Stilaro valley, with an 11th–12th-century Byzantine church, where the Calabrian Saint John Theristis (the Reaper) lived. Orthodox again since 1994 — first revived by monks from Mount Athos, and entrusted since 2008 to the Romanian Orthodox Church. In 2001 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew brought a relic of Saint John here.

Where: Orthodox Monastery of San Giovanni Theristis
Address: Monastero di San Giovanni Theristis, valle dello Stilaro, 89040 Bivongi (RC) · on the map

Cassino

Tomb of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica

A monastery founded by Saint Benedict around 529; he died and was buried here together with his sister Saint Scholastica. Their tomb lies beneath the high altar of the basilica, rebuilt after its destruction in 1944 (by another tradition part of their relics is also venerated at Fleury, France).

Where: Abbey of Monte Cassino
Address: Abbazia di Montecassino, Via Montecassino, 03043 Cassino (FR) · on the map

Catania

Relics of Saint Agatha the Martyr

The relics of the martyr Agatha, a native of Catania († 251; feast 5 February), taken to Constantinople in 1040 and returned in 1126, are kept in a silver reliquary bust and caskets in the Chapel of Saint Agatha. They are brought out for veneration at the feasts of 3–5 February and 17 August.

Where: Cathedral of Saint Agatha
Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele II 163 (Piazza del Duomo), 95131 Catania · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Leo of Catania, Piazza Turi Ferro, Catania

Grottaferrata

Monastery of Saint Nilus of Rossano

A Greek monastery founded in 1004, before the Schism, by Saint Nilus of Rossano († 1004; feast 26 September), who died here; his disciple Saint Bartholomew completed it. The relics of Saint Nilus are kept here. Today it is a Byzantine-rite monastery in communion with Rome.

Where: Abbey of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata
Address: Corso del Popolo 128, 00046 Grottaferrata (RM) · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, Via Roccella Jonica 16, Rome (Anagnina)

Genoa

Relics of Saint John the Baptist

The ashes (relics) of Saint John the Baptist, brought according to tradition from Myra in 1098–1099, are kept in a 13th-century marble ark behind the altar of the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist, in the left aisle of the cathedral.

Where: Cathedral of San Lorenzo, Chapel of Saint John the Baptist
Address: Piazza San Lorenzo, 16123 Genova · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of the Transfiguration (Moscow Patriarchate), Piazza San Giorgio 2r, Genoa

Loreto

The Holy House of Loreto

Beneath the basilica’s dome stands the Holy House, a small stone building that local tradition identifies with the house of the Mother of God in Nazareth, brought to Italy at the end of the 13th century (historians link it to stones brought from the Holy Land by the Byzantine Angelos family). One of Italy’s most visited shrines, it also draws Orthodox pilgrims.

Where: Basilica of the Holy House
Address: Piazza della Madonna 1, 60025 Loreto (AN) · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of Saint Anne (Ecumenical Patriarchate), via Giuseppe Birarelli 3, Ancona

Monte Sant’Angelo

Cave of Saint Michael the Archangel on Monte Gargano

Around 490, according to tradition, the Archangel Michael appeared several times to the Bishop of Siponto and asked that this cave be dedicated to Christian worship; since the late 5th century it has been one of the oldest shrines of the Archangel in the West. The cave church, with Byzantine bronze doors of 1076, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Where: Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel
Address: Via Reale Basilica 127, 71037 Monte Sant’Angelo (FG) · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of the Miracle of Saint Michael the Archangel at Chonae, Chiesa del Purgatorio, Piazza Pietro Nenni, Orta Nova

Naples

Relics of the Hieromartyr Januarius (Gennaro)

The relics of the Hieromartyr Januarius, Bishop of Benevento († 305; Orthodox feast 21 April), rest in the crypt beneath the high altar; his head and the phials of his blood are kept in the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro. The blood is exposed on the first Saturday of May, 19 September and 16 December.

Where: Naples Cathedral
Address: Via Duomo 147, 80138 Napoli · on the map
Nearest church: Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Via dei Greci 51, Naples

Pavia

Relics of Saint Augustine of Hippo

The relics of Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo († 430; Orthodox feast 15 June), brought from Sardinia in the 8th century, rest in the 14th-century marble “Ark of Saint Augustine” in the presbytery. The philosopher Boethius is buried in the crypt.

Where: Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro
Address: Piazza San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro 2, 27100 Pavia · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of Saint Ambrose, Via U. Olevano 200, Pavia

Ravenna

Relics of the Hieromartyr Apollinaris of Ravenna

A 6th-century basilica with Byzantine mosaics, built over the burial place of Saint Apollinaris, first bishop of Ravenna and disciple of the Apostle Peter (feast 23 July). His relics rest within the high altar.

Where: Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe
Address: Via Romea Sud 224, 48124 Classe (RA) · on the map
Nearest church: Church of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple and Saint Nicholas, Via Emilia 1, Rimini

Rome

Catacomb of Priscilla — the earliest image of the Mother of God

Called the “Queen of the Catacombs”, it received seven bishops of Rome and, according to ancient lists, over three hundred martyrs. An early 3rd-century fresco shows the Mother of God with the Child and the Prophet Isaiah — the oldest known image of the Virgin. Entrance through the convent cloister on Via Salaria; guided visits.

Where: Catacomb of Priscilla (Via Salaria)
Address: Via Salaria 430, 00199 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Rome

Catacombs of Saint Callixtus

One of Rome’s principal early Christian cemeteries (2nd–4th centuries), with the “Crypt of the Popes”, where nine 3rd-century bishops of Rome were buried, including the martyrs Sixtus II and Fabian, and the crypt of Saint Cecilia, her original burial place. Visits are by guided tour only.

Where: Catacombs of San Callisto (Appian Way)
Address: Via Appia Antica 110/126, 00179 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Chains of Saint Peter and relics of the Holy Maccabees

Beneath the high altar a reliquary holds the chains with which the Apostle Peter was bound (the Orthodox feast of the Veneration of his Chains is 16/29 January). In 1876 the relics of the seven Holy Maccabee martyrs, commemorated on 1/14 August, were found in the basilica.

Where: Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli
Address: Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli 4/a, 00184 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Heads of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

The cathedral of Rome, founded by Saint Constantine the Great. Since the 9th century the heads of the chief Apostles Peter and Paul have been venerated here; they are kept in reliquaries within the Gothic ciborium above the high altar.

Where: Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
Address: Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano 4, 00184 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Rome

The Holy Stairs and the icon of the Saviour “Not Made by Hands”

According to tradition these 28 steps led up to Pilate’s praetorium in Jerusalem and were brought to Rome by Saint Helen. Pilgrims climb them only on their knees; at the top is the ancient papal chapel, the “Holy of Holies”, with an icon of the Saviour held to be “not made by hands”.

Where: Sanctuary of the Scala Santa (Lateran)
Address: Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano 14, 00185 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Rome

The Column of the Flagellation

The Chapel of Saint Zeno, decorated with 9th-century Byzantine mosaics, keeps part of the column at which, according to tradition, the Lord was scourged (brought from Jerusalem in 1223). The crypt beneath the altar holds the relics of the Roman martyrs Praxedes and Pudentiana.

Where: Basilica of Santa Prassede
Address: Via di Santa Prassede 9/a, 00184 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Rome

The Mamertine Prison, where the Apostles Peter and Paul were held

An ancient dungeon by the Roman Forum where, according to tradition, the Apostle Peter (and, by another tradition, the Apostle Paul) was held before martyrdom; the spring with which the Apostle is said to have baptised his jailers is shown. The church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami stands above it.

Where: Tullianum (Mamertine Prison), chapel of San Pietro in Carcere
Address: Clivo Argentario 1, 00186 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Place of the Beheading of the Apostle Paul (Tre Fontane)

According to tradition the Apostle Paul was beheaded here under Nero; legend says his head struck the ground three times and three springs gushed forth, marked inside the church of San Paolo alle Tre Fontane. The site is kept by Trappist monks.

Where: Tre Fontane Abbey, church of San Paolo alle Tre Fontane
Address: Via di Acque Salvie 1, 00142 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

House and relics of the Holy Martyrs John and Paul

The basilica was built over the house of the Roman martyrs John and Paul, put to death under Julian the Apostate (feast 26 June). Their relics rest in a porphyry urn beneath the high altar; the “Roman Houses” with early Christian paintings beneath the church are open to visitors (entrance on the Clivo di Scauro).

Where: Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo on the Caelian Hill
Address: Piazza dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo 13, 00184 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Monastery of Saint Gregory the Dialogist

On the site of the family home of Saint Gregory the Dialogist, Pope of Rome († 604; feast 12 March), who founded the monastery of Saint Andrew here around 575; from here he sent Saint Augustine to evangelise the English. The marble throne associated with Saint Gregory is preserved. His relics rest in Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Where: Church of San Gregorio Magno al Celio
Address: Piazza di San Gregorio al Celio 1, 00184 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Relic of the Holy Manger and tomb of Saint Jerome

Rome’s oldest church dedicated to the Mother of God (5th century). In the “Bethlehem” crypt beneath the high altar a crystal reliquary holds wood said to be from Christ’s manger, and Saint Jerome is buried there. The Borghese Chapel houses the icon “Salus Populi Romani”, by tradition painted by the Apostle Luke.

Where: Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Address: Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore, 00185 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Rome

Relics of the True Cross

The church was set up in the time of Saint Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles, in her Roman palace. The relic chapel keeps three fragments of the True Cross, part of a nail, two thorns from the Crown, part of the title board (“INRI”) and the finger of the Apostle Thomas.

Where: Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
Address: Piazza di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme 12, 00185 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Rome

Relics of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

The Apostle’s relics, moved from Lipari to Benevento (838) and then to Rome (983), rest in an ancient porphyry basin beneath the high altar (Benevento also venerates part of them). Since 2000 the basilica has been dedicated to the memory of the Christian martyrs of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Where: Basilica of San Bartolomeo all’Isola (Tiber Island)
Address: Piazza di San Bartolomeo all’Isola 22, 00186 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Relics of Saint Lawrence and Saint Stephen the Protomartyr

The basilica stands over the tomb of the archdeacon Lawrence († 258). The confessio beneath the high altar holds the relics of Saint Lawrence and of the Protomartyr Saint Stephen, brought from Constantinople in the 6th century.

Where: Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura
Address: Piazzale del Verano 3, 00185 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Rome

Relics of Saint Sebastian the Martyr

The relics of the martyr Sebastian († 288; Orthodox feast 18 December) rest in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian on the left side. Beneath the basilica are the catacombs where, according to tradition, the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul were kept for a time in the 3rd century.

Where: Basilica of San Sebastiano fuori le Mura (Appian Way)
Address: Via Appia Antica 136, 00179 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Relics of Saint Cecilia the Martyr

By tradition the church stands on the house of the martyr Cecilia († c. 230); remains of a Roman house have been excavated beneath it. The crypt holds the relics of Saint Cecilia and her husband, the martyr Valerian (commemorated 22 November).

Where: Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
Address: Piazza di Santa Cecilia 22, 00153 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Relics of Saint Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles

The basilica on the Capitoline Hill keeps the relics of Saint Helen, mother of Saint Constantine the Great, who found the Cross of the Lord. They are in the Chapel of Saint Helen.

Where: Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Capitoline Hill)
Address: Scala dell’Arce Capitolina 12, 00186 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Relics of the Holy Apostles Philip and James

A 6th-century church dedicated to the Apostles Philip and James. Their relics, moved here from the catacombs, were rediscovered beneath the high altar in 1873 and rest in the crypt (confessio).

Where: Basilica of the Holy Apostles (Santi Apostoli)
Address: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 51, 00187 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Theodore the Recruit (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Via di San Teodoro 7, Rome

Rome

Tomb of Saint Agnes the Martyr

A 7th-century basilica above the catacombs where the young martyr Agnes († c. 304; feast 21 January) was buried, together with her foster-sister, the martyr Emerentiana. Their relics rest beneath the high altar; part of the catacombs can be visited on a guided tour.

Where: Basilica of Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura and catacombs
Address: Via Nomentana 349, 00162 Roma · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Moscow Patriarchate), Via Palestro 69/71, Rome

Subiaco

The Cave of Saint Benedict of Nursia

A monastery built into the cliff above the Aniene valley around the cave where Saint Benedict of Nursia († 547; Orthodox feast 14 March), father of Western monasticism, lived as a hermit for about three years. The cave and chapels are covered with frescoes from the 8th to the 15th century.

Where: Monastery of the Sacro Speco
Address: Monastero di San Benedetto (Sacro Speco), 00028 Subiaco (RM) · on the map

Syracuse

Place of martyrdom and tomb of Saint Lucy

A sanctuary on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Lucy of Syracuse († 304; feast 13 December). The octagonal Sepulchre Chapel marks her original burial place, linked to the ancient catacombs; her relics now rest in Venice (church of San Geremia). Behind the altar hangs Caravaggio’s “Burial of Saint Lucy”.

Where: Sanctuary of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro
Address: Piazza Santa Lucia, 96100 Siracusa · on the map
Nearest church: Church of Saint Leo of Catania, Piazza Turi Ferro, Catania

Termoli

Relics of Saint Timothy the Apostle

The relics of Saint Timothy, Apostle of the Seventy and disciple of Saint Paul (feast 22 January), were found in 1945 in the cathedral crypt with an inscription of 1239: “Here rests the body of blessed Timothy, disciple of the Apostle Paul”. They rest in the crypt.

Where: Termoli Cathedral
Address: Piazza Duomo, 86039 Termoli (CB) · on the map

Venice

Icon of the Mother of God “Mesopantitissa”

Above the high altar is the Byzantine icon of the Mother of God “Mesopantitissa” (“the Mediatress”), brought in 1669 from Candia (Heraklion) in Crete after the city’s fall. The basilica’s feast is 21 November, the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple.

Where: Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute
Address: Campo della Salute, Dorsoduro 1, 30123 Venezia · on the map
Nearest church: Cathedral of Saint George of the Greeks, Castello 3412, Venice

Venice

Relics of Saint John the Merciful

The church keeps the relics of Saint John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria († 620; feast 12 November), renowned for his charity to the poor; his funerary monument is in the church.

Where: Church of San Giovanni in Bragora
Address: Campo Bandiera e Moro, Castello, 30122 Venezia · on the map
Nearest church: Cathedral of Saint George of the Greeks, Castello 3412, Venice

Venice

Relics of the Holy Prophet Zacharias, father of John the Baptist

The relics of the righteous Zacharias, prophet and father of Saint John the Baptist (feast 5 September), a gift of the Byzantine Emperor Leo V, rest beneath the second altar on the right.

Where: Church of San Zaccaria
Address: Campo San Zaccaria 4693, Castello, 30122 Venezia · on the map
Nearest church: Cathedral of Saint George of the Greeks, Castello 3412, Venice

Venice (Lido)

Relics of Saint Nicholas on the Lido

Beneath the high altar rest relics of Saint Nicholas taken from Myra by the Venetians in 1100 — the small fragments left behind when the main part of the relics was moved to Bari; a scientific study showed that the Bari and Venice relics complement each other.

Where: Church and monastery of San Nicolò al Lido
Address: Riviera San Nicolò 26, 30126 Lido di Venezia (VE) · on the map
Nearest church: Cathedral of Saint George of the Greeks, Castello 3412, Venice

Verona

Relics of Saint Zeno of Verona

In the crypt of the Romanesque basilica the relics of Saint Zeno, Bishop of Verona († 371; Orthodox feast 12 April), vested in episcopal robes, lie in an open view in a gilded shrine with glass sides.

Where: Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore
Address: Piazza San Zeno 2, 37123 Verona · on the map
Nearest church: Parish of Saint Nicholas (Moscow Patriarchate), San Salvatore Vecchio church, Verona