Discover the Eucharistic Miracle of Santa Pudenziana: the Imprint of the Host in the Marble

In one of Rome’s most ancient churches, the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana on the Esquiline, an altar step in the Caetani Chapel preserves a singular sign: the imprint left in 1610 by a consecrated Host that fell from the hands of a priest assailed by doubt. A small mark in the marble that has questioned visitors for four centuries.

The Doubt and the Fall

In 1610, during a Mass celebrated in the Caetani Chapel, a priest was seized by doubt about the real presence of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In that moment of hesitation, the consecrated Host slipped from his hand and fell onto the altar step: and there, like wax upon stone, it left its circular imprint, still visible and protected today.

Santa Pudenziana: the Memory of the Origins

According to tradition, the basilica rises over the house of the senator Pudens, who is said to have given hospitality to the Apostle Peter: its foundations rest on second-century Roman buildings, and its apse preserves the oldest great Christian mosaic in Rome (late fourth century), with Christ teaching among the apostles. In this treasure chest of early Christianity, the Eucharistic sign of 1610 adds a chapter to the long history of Roman faith.

The Caetani Chapel

The sumptuous sixteenth-century chapel of the Caetani family, designed by Francesco da Volterra and completed by Carlo Maderno, is the exact site of the prodigy: the step with the imprint is pointed out to visitors, a discreet destination for Eucharistic pilgrimages in the heart of the Monti district.

Historical Clues and “Adventurous” Research:

• The seventeenth-century chronicles: trace the earliest accounts of the prodigy in the archives of the basilica and of the Vicariate of Rome.
• The house of Pudens: explore the excavations beneath the basilica, among the Roman domus that tradition links to the Apostle Peter.
• The apse mosaic: study the relationship between the basilica’s early Christian iconography and the Eucharistic devotion layered upon it.

Useful Information for Pilgrims

• Address: Via Urbana 160, Rome (RM), Italy
• Opening Hours: check the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana website for visiting and celebration times.
• Getting There: the basilica is in the Monti district, five minutes’ walk from Santa Maria Maggiore (metro B, Cavour).

Historical source: the international exhibition “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World” created by Carlo Acutis (miracolieucaristici.org).