Eucharistic Miracle of Turin

The Story

The Eucharistic Miracle of Turin is a Catholic tradition connected with an event reported on June 6, 1453, in what is now the Piazza Corpus Domini in the center of Turin, Italy. The Basilica of Corpus Domini was later built on the spot to commemorate it. According to the traditional account, during the conflict then troubling the Piedmont region, soldiers looted the church of Exilles, a town in the mountains west of Turin, and one of them carried off a monstrance containing a consecrated Host among the stolen goods loaded on a mule. When the animal reached the market square of Turin, it stumbled and fell, and the monstrance opened. Tradition holds that the Host then rose into the air, shining with light above the astonished crowd. The bishop of Turin, Ludovico da Romagnano, was summoned and knelt in adoration, praying in the words of the disciples at Emmaus, 'Stay with us, Lord.' The account concludes that the Host gently descended into the chalice he held, and it was carried in procession to the cathedral. The city of Turin preserved the memory of the event with great devotion. After a vow made by the city, a church dedicated to Corpus Domini was begun in 1603 on the site of the miracle, designed by the architect Ascanio Vitozzi, and an iron railing inside marks the traditional spot where the mule fell. The church was raised to the rank of minor basilica in 1928, and the anniversary of the miracle has been solemnly commemorated in Turin across the centuries. The spiritual heart of the tradition is Eucharistic adoration: the account presents the consecrated Host not as an object to be seized or sold, but as the living presence of Christ before whom the Church kneels. Pilgrims visiting Turin today can pray in the Basilica of Corpus Domini, a short walk from the cathedral that houses the Shroud of Turin, and join a tradition of Eucharistic devotion that has shaped the city's faith for more than five centuries.

Church Recognition

A recognized devotion long commemorated in Turin.

Catholic Teaching

A sign pointing to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

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Practical

1 Additional Information ▾

The Church of Corpus Domini in Turin marks the site of the 1453 event.

Go Deeper

The Basilica of Corpus Domini in Turin preserves the memory of the event, which is documented in the 'Eucharistic Miracles of the World' exhibition compiled by Blessed Carlo Acutis (miracolieucaristici.org) and in materials of the Archdiocese of Turin. See also Catechism of the Catholic Church 1373–1381 on the Real Presence.