1263 · Bolsena · Orvieto · Urban IV
The Miracle of the Corporal
From the eucharistic miracle of Bolsena to the relic kept in Orvieto Cathedral: the story behind the birth of Corpus Christi.
The eucharistic heart of Orvieto
From Bolsena to Orvieto
According to tradition, in 1263 a Bohemian priest, identified by tradition as Peter of Prague, stopped at Bolsena during a pilgrimage to Rome. While he was celebrating Mass in the church of Santa Cristina, troubled by doubts about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, drops of blood issued from the consecrated host and stained the corporal, the liturgical linen spread on the altar.
Pope Urban IV, who was staying in Orvieto at the time, was informed of what had happened and had the relic brought to the city. The following year, with the bull Transiturus, he instituted the feast of Corpus Christi for the whole Church.
The miracle
The priest and the Sacred Linen
At the centre of the story is the corporal, the liturgical cloth used during the celebration. Tradition holds that this linen was stained by the blood that flowed from the host at the moment of consecration, in answer to the priest’s doubts.
The relic immediately became a powerful sign of eucharistic faith and was moved to Orvieto, a city deeply bound to Urban IV and to the institution of the solemnity of Corpus Christi that followed.
The name “Corporal” refers precisely to the liturgical linen used during Mass, which became a relic after the miracle of Bolsena.
Orvieto
The chapel that keeps the memory
To house the Sacred Linen and preserve its memory, the Cappella del Corporale (Chapel of the Corporal) was built inside Orvieto Cathedral in the mid-fourteenth century. Here both the miracle of Bolsena and other episodes linked to the Eucharist are told in images.
The Gothic tabernacle beyond the altar holds the Sacred Linen; the reliquary made in 1338 by Ugolino di Vieri can be seen today in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
The Cappella del Corporale in Orvieto Cathedral, built to house the Sacred Linen of the miracle of Bolsena.
The feast
Why Orvieto is bound to Corpus Christi
The link between Orvieto and Corpus Christi is not only devotional: the universal feast of the Eucharist was instituted in 1264 by Urban IV himself, in connection with the miracle of Bolsena and Orvieto.
Each year the city renews this memory with the procession of the Sacred Corporal and the traditional historical pageant, keeping visible even today the bond between faith, relic and the civic identity of Orvieto.
When Corpus Christi falls
Corpus Christi is a movable feast: it has no fixed date in the calendar but depends on Easter. It falls on the Thursday after the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, that is sixty days after Easter.
In Italy, where it is not a public holiday, the celebration is moved to the following Sunday. Since Easter shifts each year between late March and late April, Corpus Christi usually falls between the end of May and the second half of June. In Orvieto the procession of the Sacred Corporal follows this calendar: for the exact date in any given year and for the programme of celebrations, refer to the Opera del Duomo.
Practical information
Where to see the Corporal in Orvieto
The main point of reference is Orvieto Cathedral, and in particular the Cappella del Corporale. Access to the chapel follows the arrangements set by the Opera del Duomo, and during religious services at the high altar tourist visits are not permitted.
For current opening hours, expositions and celebrations, always check the official website of the Duomo di Orvieto.
Hours and celebrations →FAQ — The Miracle of the Corporal
References
Essential sources
1. Opera del Duomo di Orvieto — The Chapel of the Corporal
2. Opera del Duomo di Orvieto — Official website
3. The Vatican — Homily of John Paul II in Orvieto, Corpus Christi 1990