Description: A ring made of greenish-blue onyx or chalcedony, transparent and with thick walls, dating back to the late Roman period. Entered into use: between 1473 and 1488. Relic: Other
Collection of ex-votos: Data not available. Notes on the collection: In Perugia, there are no attested ex-votos related to the Holy Ring. The only one that can be considered as such is a golden silver crown adorned with rubies and diamonds, donated by Ippolito della Corgna in 1716.

The Perugian devotion to the Holy Ring is closely tied to the presence of the relic in the city. The relic was stolen from the city of Chiusi, which had safeguarded it since the 9th century, although another tradition claims it was in Perugia as early as the 3rd century when it was brought from Rome by the noblewoman Mustiola, later a saint. Between the mid and late 19th century, there was a decline in devotion to the relic due to the increasing secularization of daily life, but the creation of a historical aura around the artifact restored strength and momentum to the cult of the Holy Ring.
Extensive bibliography exists both for the construction of the Church of St. Mustiola in Chiusi and for the establishment of the Company of the Holy Ring and the Chapel of St. Joseph, which now houses the relic.
Mustiola, a saint who according to one tradition was the first to possess the relic, was venerated in Perugia as early as the 13th century—before the arrival of the ring—but not as a conduit for the relic. The revelation of the saint as the discoverer of the relic occurred in Perugia in 1857 through the study of A. Rossi, promoted by the Confraternity to shed light on the historical events of the Virgin’s wedding ring. In reality, in-depth studies conducted around the 1950s revealed that the Jewish population of the 1st century B.C./A.D. had no custom of exchanging such a pledge during marriage. The most credible historical analysis of this ring identifies it as a male seal ring dating back to the first century A.D.
Strictly local traditions highlight particular devotions over the centuries. 1640: Cardinal Baldeschi forbids touching the Holy Ring with crowns, jewels, candles, or rings, especially those of disreputable women. 1644: Bishop Monaldi continues the tradition introduced by De Torres of singing litanies every Saturday with an attached indulgence. 1988: The public displays resume after being interrupted due to restoration work.
Intervention by Sixtus IV (1471-1485) to settle the dispute between Chiusi and Perugia over possession of the relic. The Pope ruled in favor of Perugia.
Many studies explicitly state that there is no reduction of penance for those who visit the relic. However, it is worth noting that the most frequent display was on August 7, included in the indulgence route of the Pardon of Assisi. Bishop De Torres (1624-1634) had introduced the custom of singing litanies every Saturday with an attached indulgence. This practice was later resumed by Bishop Monaldi (1643-1658).
During the solemn entrance of the ring into the cathedral, the priors handed the relic over to the Bishop.
The care of the precious relic was entrusted by the Bishop to the Confraternity of the Spouse of Mary, founded specifically for this purpose, inspired by the preaching of Bernardini da Feltre. The Confraternity took charge of recurring economic initiatives aimed at revitalizing the cult of the ring. It commissioned artworks for the Chapel, such as the Marriage of the Virgin by Perugino (1500-1503), originally placed on the Chapel’s altar but removed during the Napoleonic era and now in Caen, as well as historical research works on the authenticity and truthfulness of the relic.

Perugia, Italy