Basilica Di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme

The church and monastery where we stayed. What a perfect place to end a pilgrimage to Rome. We entered the church …

To the left is an aisle which leads to “La Cappella delle Reliquie”, the Chapel of Relics, relics of “the Passion of the Lord.” These relics have been kept for over a millennium, first in a semi-underground chapel dedicated to St. Elena and later, in 1570, moved to this basilica and a chapel built for them in the “Holy Year of 1925.” These relics are kept in “reliquaries” and are revered as some of the most sacred relics in Christian tradition. (I didn’t know any of this existed until the desk clerk at The Domus Sessorina Hotel-the Monastery-told us about it and we set off to find out more.) Absolutely fascinated I was.

The chapel of reliquaries with a display case at the farthest point.
Close up of display case of reliquaries.
Reliquary of the Cross-a piece of the Lord’s cross which was brought to Rome, to this chapel.
Reliquary of one of the nails of Jesus’ crucifixtion. You can see it in the top glass part…
Reliquary of the “Titulus Cruces”, the wooden title board affixed above Jesus on the cross.
Reliquary of thorns.