“San Gennaro, protettore di Napoli!” The elderly women, called parenti, had been zealously and faithfully chanting all day, right up to that fateful moment when the chapel erupted in cheers of “Il miracolo!” The serious monsignor twisted the reliquary to show that what was a solid mass of ancient blood had now liquified. One of the frenzied parenti fainted as the crowd added in unison, “Aiuto!” to help her to her feet. Dramatic!
We arrived early that day to be sure to have a seat. The monsignor held the ceremony in the Treasury Chapel of which he is the abbot — a smaller, more intimate venue than the main Duomo. Surrounded by dozens of shining solid silver statues and reliquaries, we along with photographers, camera crews, police, military, and other faithful crowded together and waited.
The day kicked off at 9:00 with Holy Mass. (I noticed a religious sister standing and found her a seat. Dear Sister Cristiana, a Daughter of St. Paul and Napoli native, was thrilled as she had never experienced the miracle having always served outside Italy.) Then the abbot started processing around, turning the reliquary this way and that to check for flow. At 1:00, as is the custom in Naples, everything shut down for riposo (lunch break)! The festivities resumed at 4:00, and the blood liquified about an hour later. The crowd buzzed with life after the suspended silence that had been broken only by the drone of the parenti.
Why We Came
Laura and I had read about the blood miracle and the timing was perfect. We had spent the fall in Sicily and Calabria, and wanted to be in Rome for Christmas. December 16th in Naples — perfetto!
We arrived in Naples two days before the ceremony, giving ourselves time to explore town, sample the amazing food, and take in the art. Laura described our time there, including the street of Nativity scenes (presepe) and the truly breathtaking Veiled Christ, in her blog post.
Since this day, December 16th, was not as popular as the Saint’s feast day, the venue of the Treasury was more intimate and we were able to participate and see the blood much better than being in the back of a larger crowd.
The Evening Procession
The evening before, with full bellies and tired legs from a full day of sightseeing, we had settled in for an early night. My phone pinged from a message. Our host knew we were there for the miracle and her text said to look outside for the procession. We hopped out of bed, pulled on clothes, and made our way to the Duomo.
Drums, drums in the streets. They are coming.
The bust of San Gennaro appeared first, carried high above the crowd, followed by a drum line and other musicians.
The procession climbed the steps to the Duomo and played music, sang, and prayed. This was not the first, nor would be the last, procession we experienced in our time in Italy.
December 16th isn’t the most famous date on Naples’ liturgical calendar—that honor belongs to September 19th, the feast of San Gennaro himself. December 16th, 1631 holds a special place in the heart of this volcanic city. San Gennaro stopped the lava on that day.
History of the Miracle
Gennaro was born around 272 AD and was Bishop of Benevento in 305 when he learned that some Christians had been imprisoned by the Roman Empire. Gennaro didn’t hide. Instead, he traveled to comfort them. The Romans arrested and sentenced him to be thrown to wild bears in the amphitheater, along with the other Christians. Legend holds the beasts refused to attack, lying down peacefully instead.
The Romans ordered the prisoners beheaded on September 19, 305 AD. A Christian woman named Eusebia collected some of his blood in glass vials, preserving them as sacred relics. After his death, miracles were attributed to him, and his cult spread rapidly throughout southern Italy. Pope Boniface IV canonized him in the early 7th century, though Neapolitans had been venerating him as their protector for centuries before any official papal decree. Today, San Gennaro stands as Naples’ most beloved saint—not just a distant holy figure, but a living presence who has protected the city through plagues, eruptions, and wars for over 1,700 years.
On December 16, 1631, Vesuvius exploded with devastating force after nearly a century of quiet. Lava flowed down toward Naples as terrified residents poured into the churches. The Cardinal-Archbishop ordered San Gennaro’s relics brought out from the cathedral, and priests carried the saint’s bust and the ampoules of his blood through ash-choked streets toward the advancing lava. According to tradition, as the procession approached Ponte Maddalena on the city’s outskirts, where the lava flow was advancing, the molten rock stopped. Witnesses claimed the lava seemed to cool and solidify, halting its destruction just before reaching the city proper. Modern volcanologists note that lava flows often stop on their own as they cool and lose momentum, but for the people of Naples, the timing was unmistakable: San Gennaro had saved them once again. Naples has commemorated each December 16th as a feast of thanksgiving ever since.
San Gennaro, protettore di Napoli, protect them still.
The Miracle Infographic
