Laatste update op 8 May 2020

It is not just the mesmerising canals that make Venice what it is. Venice is also about stories, sometimes true, sometimes more or less true. For example the curch San Geremia. Here you will find the relics of Saint Lucy of Syracuse. Her body (at least partly) is on display, but it took some effort to get it there. Ingredients for another great story.

Saint Lucy is a martyr and protector of the visual handicapped. It is said that her eyes were ripped out while she was tortured. According to the legend, Saint Lucy lived her life at the time of emperor Diocletianus (284-305), when christians were persecuted. When she refused to marry because she chose to dedicate her life to Jesus, people tried to set her to work in a brothel. However, due to a miracle they did not succeed in deporting her. Then she was tortured en murdered. According to legend she regained her eyesight before she died.

Dandolo seized more than horses alone

The assumption is that the relics of Saint Lucy were brought from Constantinopel to Venice by Doge Dandolo (Doge from 1192-1205), the one who also brought the four famous horses tot the San Marco Basilica. He and four bishops carried her body (or that was left of it; for example an arm was missing) tot San Giorgio Maggiore. Around 1280 the remains were transferred to the building Corpus Domini. In the 14th century a church dedicated to Saint Lucy was built, the Chiesa Santa Lucia. However, it appeared a quit difficult task to get the remains there to stay. The nuns of the Corpus Domini were not so cooperative.

Ninja-nuns

Over time the Dominican nuns of Corpus Domini grew attached to the presence of the body of Saint Lucy. They were reluctant to give up their treasure. This attitude resulted in a small delegation of nuns that went out to steel back the relics from the new church (of the Augustinians) in secret to bring it back to theirs in 1476. They hid the body and had no intention of returning it. Even a committee of the Council of Ten could not persuade the “Ninja-nuns” to give the relics back. Eventually, on the threat of a besiege, the nuns let their hostage go. However, they received 40 golden ducats from the Augustinians for the exchange.

Santa Lucia Relics Venice (San Geremia)

Santa Lucia Relics Venice (San Geremia)

Chiesa Santa Lucia demolished

The original Santa Lucia was rebuild in the years1580/1590 by Leonardo Mocenigo. The Augustinian nuns left the monastry in 1806 and around 1840/1860 the church was demolished to make way for the trainstation, appropriately called Santa Lucia. The orinigal church was depicted by Guardi in his painting ‘Canal Grande con Santa Lucia e gli Scalzi’ from around 1780.

The relics of Saint Lucy were then put in the Chiesa San Geremia. There is being said that the Venetians gave the head of the marty to Louis XII of France in 1513, to be placed in the cathedral of Bourges. However, there are several stories about the relics and it is difficult to pinpoint what is true and was is not. At any case, in 1951 a silver mask was made and placed over the face of Saint Lucy. Her relics with the silver mask are still on display in the San Geremia. In 1981 her relics, excluding the head, were stolen from the church. Fortunately the relics were returned without a ransom.

Links

Corpus Domini and Santa Lucia, churchesofvenice.co.uk
Saint Lucy of Syracuse – saints.sqpn.com


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