The Blood Miracle of Ferrara: A Century-Old Wonder

The Event

The Eucharistic miracle occurred in Ferrara, in the Basilica of Saint Mary in Vado, on Easter Sunday, March 28, 1171. During the Easter Mass, Father Pietro da Verona, the prior of the basilica, witnessed blood gushing from the consecrated Host, staining the ceiling vault above the altar with droplets. In 1595, this vault was enclosed within a small shrine and remains visible today in the monumental Basilica of Santa Maria Vado.

Eyewitness Accounts

Father Pietro da Verona, the prior of the Canons Regular of Portuense, was celebrating Easter Mass with three confreres—Bono, Leonardo, and Aimone. At the moment of breaking the consecrated Host, a gush of blood sprang forth, staining the ceiling vault above the altar. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the Host take on a bloody color and the figure of a baby within it. Bishop Amato of Ferrara and Archbishop Gherardo of Ravenna were immediately informed and witnessed the blood on the altar ceiling vault. This event quickly turned the church into a pilgrimage destination, and the church was later rebuilt and expanded by Duke Ercole d'Este starting in 1495.

Historical Documentation

Several important sources document this miracle. The most notable is the Bull of Pope Eugene IV dated March 30, 1442, where the pontiff references the miracle based on testimonies of the faithful and ancient historical sources. The oldest document mentioning the miracle is the 1197 manuscript of Gerardo Cambrense, preserved in Canterbury's Lambeth Library. Historian Antonio Samaritani also mentioned the miracle in his work "Gemma Ecclesiastica" (Blessing of the Church). Another significant document is the Bull of Cardinal Migliorati from March 6, 1404, granting indulgences to those who visit the church and adore the Miraculous Blood.

Ongoing Commemoration

Today, on the 28th day of every month, Eucharistic Adoration is celebrated in memory of the miracle at the basilica, which is currently under the care of Saint Gaspare del Bufalo's Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood. In preparation for the Feast of Corpus Christi, the solemn Forty Hours devotion is celebrated annually. The eight-hundredth anniversary of the miracle was commemorated in 1971.