Church of St. Francis, Lanciano

Church of St. Francis in Lanciano (Chiesa di San Francesco) is a place where many pilgrims come every year. In the 7th century, the Eucharistic miracle happened in the walls of the monastery of St. Longinus (a contemporary church was eventually built in its place) – during the liturgy, bread and wine turned into body and blood in the hands of Basilian monk, who at that time had doubts about religion. Seeing this, the priest fell to his knees and began to pray. And the pilgrims began to come to the temple. Having conducted more than one hundred studies, scientists have not been able to explain this case from a scientific point of view.

The Gothic church of St. Francis was built in the 13th century, the initiators of its appearance were the Franciscan monks. It appeared on the site of the ruined monastery of St. Longinus. According to Christian tradition, Longinus was a Roman centurion who pierced Jesus Christ with a spear. He also witnessed the Resurrection of Christ, after which, together with other soldiers, he believed in Jesus.

In the 15th century a bell tower “grew up” near the temple, the top of which was decorated with colored tiles. And in the 18th century, the church of St. Francis was substantially rebuilt in the Baroque style. In the same century, the artist Teodoro Donato decorated the walls with murals. In 2000, the temple was reconstructed.

The main shrine of the church

In the church you can see the Eucharistic miracle. This is the main shrine of the temple: a fragment of the body in silver monstrance and blood in a crystal vessel. An organ with carved elements and a wooden crucifix from the 18th century are also the decoration.

How to get there

The city of Lanciano is located 50 kilometers from Pescara, you can get here by car, or use public transport – bus and train. The Church of St. Francis is located at Via Tesauri, 6, near the Basilica of the Madonna del Ponte.