Discover the Eucharistic Miracle of the Monte dei Cappuccini: the Fire that Defended the Tabernacle

From the hill of the Monte dei Cappuccini, the church of Santa Maria del Monte overlooks Turin and the Po. Here, in 1640, during one of the most dramatic moments in the city’s history, the Blessed Sacrament defended itself: from the desecrated tabernacle burst forth what seemed a tongue of fire, striking the sacrilegious soldier before his comrades.

The Siege of 1640

In 1640 the French army of the Count d’Harcourt crossed the Po, conquering the Savoyard redoubts during the Piedmontese civil war: the soldiers reached the Monte dei Cappuccini as well. They burst into the church of Santa Maria del Monte and killed many civilians who had sought refuge there, while the lives of the Capuchin friars were spared.

The Line of Fire

A French soldier managed to open the tabernacle to seize the pyx with the consecrated Hosts: and at that instant there issued from the tabernacle what seemed a line of fire that struck him full on, burning his face and his clothes. The sacrilege was halted; news of the prodigy ran through the army and the city. The tabernacle door, decorated with agate and lapis lazuli, still shows the traces of the soldier’s tampering: a “scar” preserved as a relic.

The Monte dei Cappuccini

The church, designed by Ascanio Vitozzi at the end of the sixteenth century, is with its dome one of Turin’s best-loved panoramic spots: at its feet the Po, before it the city and the Alpine arc. The Capuchin friars have kept the memory of the 1640 miracle for four centuries — the second Eucharistic prodigy of a city that already venerated that of 1453: not by chance is Turin called “the city of the Blessed Sacrament”.

Historical Clues and “Adventurous” Research:

• The tabernacle door: observe at close quarters the marks of the tampering on the precious agate and lapis lazuli panel.
• The Capuchin chronicles: the order’s annals narrate the siege and the prodigy: compare them with the French military sources.
• The two Turin miracles: build the city’s Eucharistic itinerary from Corpus Domini (1453) to the Monte (1640).

Useful Information for Pilgrims

• Address: Via Giardino 35 (Monte dei Cappuccini), Turin (TO), Italy
• Opening Hours: enquire with the Capuchin friars of the Monte or the Archdiocese of Turin.
• Getting There: the Monte is reached on foot from the Vittorio Emanuele I bridge in a ten-minute panoramic climb.

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