Veronica's veil, the "Volto Santo", in Manoppello.

Veronica's Veil is a legendary Christian relic. The faithful believe that Veronica from Jerusalem encountered Jesus along the Via Dolorosa on the way to Calvary. When she paused to wipe the sweat (Latin suda) off his face with her veil, his image was imprinted on the cloth. The event is commemorated by one of the Stations of the Cross. According to legend, Veronica later traveled to Rome to present the cloth to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Legend has it that it had miraculous properties, being able to quench thirst, restore blindness, and sometimes even raise the dead. Image File history File links Volto-Santo_01. ... Image File history File links Volto-Santo_01. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... A relic is an object, especially a piece of the body or a personal item of someone of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial, Relics are an important aspect of Buddhism, some denominations of Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other personal belief systems. ... Abgar of Edessa in a 10th-century icon, displaying the miraculous image of Edessa, a veronica Statue of Veronica, used during the Good Friday procession in Å»ejtun,Malta. ... Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 km²) Mayor Uri Lupolianski Web Address www. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Via Dolorosa (Latin for Way of Grief) is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. ... Calvary (Golgotha) is the English-language name given to the hill on which Jesus was crucified. ... The Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross; in Latin, Via Crucis or Via Dolorosa) refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the Catholic devotion commemorating the Passion. ... Tiberius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16, 42 BC – March 16 AD 37), was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. ...

Origin of the story

The story of Veronica and her veil does not occur in the Bible, though the apocryphal "Acts of Pilate" mentions a woman called Veronica who was cured by touching the hem of Jesus' cloak. According to the popular story, the name "Veronica" is a colloquial portmanteau of the Latin word Vera, meaning truth, and Greek Icon meaning "image"; the Veil of Veronica was therefore largely regarded in medieval times as "the true image", and the truthful representation of Jesus, preceding the Shroud of Turin. This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... Apocrypha (from the Greek word απόκρυφα meaning those having been hidden away[1]) are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned. ... The Acts of Pilate (Latin Acta Pilati) is a book of the New Testament apocrypha. ... A colloquialism is an informal expression, that is, an expression not used in formal speech or writing. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... The first photo of the Shroud of Turin, taken in 1898, had the surprising feature that the image on the negative was clearer than the positive image. ...

However, this popular account is somewhat paradoxical, and has been contested. For one thing, the combination of Greek and Latin in one name would have been highly unlikely, especially at that time. The true etymology of the name Veronica is Macedonian, from the Greek Φερενικη, Ferenike (from which the name "Berenice" is also derived). Φερενικη translates approxiamately as "bringing victory", from φερω, to bring, and νικη, Nike, the (pagan) Greek goddess of victory. Finally, the stories about Veronica name her this before this occurrence took place, suggesting that she was not, in fact, named after the veil.

The white, diaphanous cloth that was venerated as the Veil of Veronica or Sudarium of Veronica during the middle ages reportedly measured about 6½ inches by 9½ inches and displayed the features of a bearded man with long hair and open eyes.

Veronica's veil, painting by Domenico Fetti (circa 1620).

Image File history File linksMetadata Veronica_0003335_copy. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Veronica_0003335_copy. ... For building painting, see painter and decorator. ... Domenico Fetti (c1589-1624) was an Italian painter born in Rome. ... Year 1620 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Provenance

Its provenance prior to the 12th century is uncertain, but from 1297, by order of Pope Boniface VIII, the image was brought to Saint Peter's, and until 1608 it was kept in the Vatican Basilica and is mentioned in Canto XXXI of Dante's "Paradise". On the occasion of the first Jubilee in 1300, the Veil of Veronica was publicly displayed and became one of the "Mirabilia Urbis" ("wonders of the City") for the pilgrims who visited Rome. (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Events 8 January - Monaco gains independence. ... Boniface VIII, né Benedetto Caetani (Anagni, c. ... This article is about the famous building in Rome. ... Events March 18 - Sissinios formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia May 14 - Protestant Union founded in Auhausen. ... DANTE is also a digital audio network. ... The concept of the Jubilee is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon. ... Events February 22 - Jubilee of Pope Boniface VIII. March 10 - Wardrobe accounts of King Edward I of Englanddo (aka Edward Longshanks) include a reference to a game called creag being played at the town of Newenden in Kent. ... Monument to pilgrims in Burgos, Spain This article is on religious pilgrims. ...

When the part of the Basilica housing the relic was remodeled in 1506, the veil disappeared. 1506 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Many artists of the time created reproductions of the Veil, but in 1616, Pope Paul V prohibited the manufacture of copies of Veronica's veil unless made by a canon of Saint Peter's Basilica. In 1629, Pope Urban VIII not only prohibited reproductions of Veronica's veil from being made, but also ordered the destruction of all existing copies. His edict declared that anyone who had access to a copy must bring it to the Vatican, under penalty of excommunication. == {| align=right cellpadding=3 id=toc style=margin-left: 15px; |- | align=center colspan=2 | Years: 1613 1614 1615 - 1616 - 1617 1618 1619 |- | align=center colspan=2 | Decades: 1580s 1590s 1600s - 1610s - 1620s 1630s 1640s |- tall> 16th century - 17th century - 18th century |} randomised 1616 was a leap year starting on Friday... Paul V, né Camillo Borghese (Rome, September 17, 1552 – January 28, 1621) was Pope from May 16, 1605 until his death. ... Events March 4 - Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal charter. ... Urban VIII, né Maffeo Barberini (April 1568 - July 29, 1644) was pope from 1623-1644. ...

Sancta Veronica with her veil, sculpture by Francesco Mochi (1629-1632). St. Peter's Basilica.

In 1999, Father Heinnrich Pfeiffer announced at a press conference in Rome that he had found the Veil (called Volto Santo) in a church of the Capuchin monastery, in the small village of Manoppello, Italy, where it had been since 1660. According to village stories, an anonymous pilgrim (perhaps an angel) arrived with the cloth inside a wrapped package, gave it to a local doctor, and then disappeared, never to be seen again. The cloth is made of a rare fiber called byssus, which is woven from the rock-clinging threads of ocean mussels. According to Paul Badde, the Vatican Correspondent for Die Welt, this is a kind of fabric which is usually only found in the graves of pharoahs. There are many pilgrims who visit the relic, dropping to their knees and then ascending a flight of steps to the relic's crypt, pausing on each step to pray. Some of them report that the face on the cloth seems to change expression, depending on how the light is hitting it. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (672x1083, 164 KB)Francesco Mochi - Sankta Veronica. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (672x1083, 164 KB)Francesco Mochi - Sankta Veronica. ... A sculpture is a three-dimensional object, which for the purposes of this article is man-made and selected for special recognition as art. ... Francesco Mochi was a prominent early Baroque Italian sculptor active mostly in Rome and Orvieto. ... Events March 4 - Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal charter. ... See also: 1632 (novel) Events February 22 - Galileos Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published July 23 - 300 colonists for New France depart Dieppe November 8 - Wladyslaw IV Waza elected king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after Zygmunt III Waza death November 16 - Battle of Lützen... This article is about the famous building in Rome. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... The term capuchin can refer to: the capuchin monkeys, genus Cebus, a group of highly intelligent New World monkeys. ... Manoppello is a comune in Abruzzo, in Pescara Province, Italy. ... The term byssus (sometimes byssal thread, or byssus thread) denotes strong threads secreted by mussels to attach to rocks and large, generally heavy objects in the intertidal zone. ... Mussels A mussel is a bivalve shellfish that can be found in lakes, rivers, creeks, intertidal areas, and throughout the ocean. ... Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer company. ... Pharaoh is a title used to refer to any ruler, usually male, of the Egyptian kingdom in the pre-Christian, pre-Islamic period. ...

Some feel that despite claims of divine origins, the face on the veil at Manoppello is very obviously a man-made image ^{[citation needed]}. Stylistically it is similar to images dating to the late middle ages or early renaissance; typical of representations of the human form from this period, it is naïvely-executed, with numerous stylised features, showing that the artist either did not understand, or did not wish to comply with the basic principles of proportion that apply to realistic renderings of the human form. Pope Benedict XVI visited the veil of Manoppello on September 1, 2006. Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. The papal tiara was replaced with a bishops mitre, and pallium of the Pope was added beneath the coat of arms. ...

Sudarium of Saint Veronica, engraving by Claude Mellan, 1649

In an alternative Spanish tradition, the existence of more than one real reply would be possible for a legend, according to which, Veronica realized two folds in the veil before drying Christ's face, being stamped his face in various sides of the veil, for what four replies should exist. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (650x884, 104 KB) Summary The Sudarium of Saint Veronica (1649), engraving and etching by Claude Mellan. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (650x884, 104 KB) Summary The Sudarium of Saint Veronica (1649), engraving and etching by Claude Mellan. ... Sudarium of Saint Veronica, engraving by Claude Mellan, 1649 Claude Mellan (born 23 May 1598 in Abbeville, died 9 March 1688 in Paris) was a French engraver and painter. ...

• St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy
• Jaén Cathedral, Jaén, Spain
• Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, Paris, France
• Monastery of the Holy Face, Alicante, Spain. This was acquired by Pope Nicholas V from relatives of the Byzantium Emperor in 1453. This veil was given by a Vatican cardinal to a Spanish priest, Mosen Pedro Mena, who took it to Alicante in souther Spain, where it arrived in 1489, at the same time as a severe drought. Carried in a procession on 17 March by an Alicante priest, Father Villafranca, a tear sprang from the eye of the face of Christ on the veil and rain began to fall. The relic is now housed in the Monastery of the Holy Face (Monasterio de la Santa Faz), on the outskirts of Alicante, in a chapel built in 1611 and decorated between 1677 and 1680 by the sculptor José Vilanova, the gilder Pere Joan Valero and the painter Juan Conchillos. The chapel is decorated with paintings depicting the miraculous termination of the drought, local personalities associated with the founding of the chapel and religious themes of judgement and salvation. The Monastery was extensively restored between 2003-6, together with the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas and the Basilica of St Mary in the city centre, and the three buildings housed an exhibition in 2006 about the relic under the name of The Face of Eternity. ^[1]

This article is about the famous building in Rome. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... Jaén may refer to: Jaén, Spain Jaén Province, Spain Jaén, Peru Jaén Province, Peru This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Sacré-CÅ“ur Basilica (French: Basilique du Sacré-CÅ“ur, Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is a Roman Catholic basilica and popular landmark in Paris, France, dedicated to the Sacred Heart. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Location of Alicante in Spain Alicante (Castillian Spanish) or Alacant (Valencian) is the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of the Alacantí, in the southern part of the Valencian community, Spain, a historic Mediterranean port. ...

Representative art

Depiction of St. Veronica's sudarium over the portal of the Gothic-era Münster Heiliges Kreuz in Rottweil, Germany

Veronica and the Veil (by Francesco Mochi in 1629-1632) is the theme of one of the four greater-than-life statues at the crossing of St. Peter's Basilica; each statue supposedly representing a relic of veneration intended to be held in a chapel below each pillar. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1471x1198, 455 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Rottweil Veil of Veronica ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1471x1198, 455 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Rottweil Veil of Veronica ... Abgar of Edessa in a 10th-century icon, displaying the miraculous image of Edessa, a veronica According to the Acta Sanctorum published by the Bollandists (under February 4), Saint Veronica or Berenice was a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave... Sudarium is a Latin word, literally meaning sweat cloth, used for wiping clean. ... Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ... Map of Germany showing Rottweil Watershed of the Neckar River Watershed of the Rhine River Rottweil is the oldest town in southwestern Germany, in the State of Baden-Württemberg. ... Francesco Mochi was a prominent early Baroque Italian sculptor active mostly in Rome and Orvieto. ... This article is about the famous building in Rome. ...

Claude Mellan, the leading French engraver of the 17th century, produced a famous engraving of the Veil of Veronica in 1649; it consists of a single spiralling line, starting at the tip of Jesus's nose. Sudarium of Saint Veronica, engraving by Claude Mellan, 1649 Claude Mellan (born 23 May 1598 in Abbeville, died 9 March 1688 in Paris) was a French engraver and painter. ...

There are two main traditions for the iconography of the face depicted on the veil. One tradition (Type I), common in Italian art, shows the face of Christ as full-bearded, in pain, scourged and perhaps crowned with thorns. Another (Type II), common in Russian and Spanish art, shows Christ's face more often in repose, hair extending to shoulder length and a bifurcated beard, often surrounded by a halo quartered in a cross.

Type I:

Holy Face Giambono, fifteenth century. Civic Museum, Pavia, Italy.

Veronica's veil Domenico Fetti, circa 1620.

Holy Face held by two angels Juan Sánchez Cotan, 1620-1625. Monastery of Cartuja, Granada.

Holy Face Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco). Convent of Capuchin Nuns, Toledo.

Veronica's Veil Francisco de Zubarán, sevententh century. Parish Church of St Peter, Seville.

Type II:

Diptych of Saint Veronica with Christ and the Virgin Mary Bernardo Martorelli, fifteenth century. Museum of Mallorca.

Sudarium of Saint Veronica Claude Mellan, 1649.

Holy Face, anon., early seventeenth century. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Holy Face Simon Ushakov, 1678. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Miracle of the tear Juan Conchillos, 1680. Lady Chapel of the Monastery of the Holy Face, Alicante.

Miracle of the three faces Juan de Miranda, 1767. Alicante Ayuntamiento.

Saint Veronica Antonio Castillo Lastrucci, 1946. Basilica of St Mary, Alicante.

See also

• Relics attributed to Jesus
• Shroud of Turin
• Sudarium of Oviedo
• Image of Edessa

There are many relics attributed to Jesus that people believe or believed to be authentic relics of the Gospel accounts. ... The first photo of the Shroud of Turin, taken in 1898, had the surprising feature that the image on the negative was clearer than the positive image. ... The Sudarium of Oviedo is a bloodstained cloth kept in Oviedo, Spain and claimed to be the cloth that was wrapped around the head of Jesus of Nazareth after he died. ... According to the legend, King Abgarus received the Image of Edessa from the apostle Thaddeus. ...

Further reading

• Janice Bennett, Sacred Blood, Sacred Image: The Sudarium of Oviedo, New Evidence for the Authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. ISBN 0-9705682-0-7
• Joan Carroll Cruz, OCDS, Miraculous Images of Our Lord. ISBN 0-89555-496-8

References

1. ^ Visitor's Guide to the Exposición La Luz de las Imagenes - La Faz de la Eternidad, Alicante 2006.

• Relics of the Passion, 2005 History Channel documentary
• "St. Veronica and the Volto Santo"
• "Saint Veronica" - Catholic Encyclopedia
• The Abruzzi - Website of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs