Category:Holy Nails (subject)
According to Christian traditions, the Holy Nails are the three (or four) nails used in the Crucifixion of Jesus.
Overview
The legend of the Holy Nails is connected with the legend of the True Cross. According to Christian traditions, when Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, found the remains of the True Cross in Jerusalem she also recovered the Holy Nails, which she brought with her to Constantinople. What happened to the (three or four) nails became the subject of numerous legends. According to a popular version of the story, Helena gave a nail to his son Constantine to be embedded in his Helmet, the second (and third) nail became a bridle for his horse, and the last nail she cast in the Adriatic Sea to calm a storm.
Ancient relics
Today there are 30 or more nails which are still venerated, or which have been venerated until recent times, as a relic of the Crucifixion of Jesus.
The Iron Crown of Lombardy
The tradition that Constantine's Helmet contained one the Holy Nails is the origin of the legend of the Iron Crown of Lombardy.
The Bridle of Constantine
The relics of the Holy Nail now preserved at Carpentras and Milan are both in the shape of a bridle and claim to be the one used in Constantine's bridle.
The cult of the Santo Chiodo was promoted in Milan by Carlo Borromeo.
Other Nails
The list of Churches or Museums preserving reliquaries of the Holy Nails includes:
- Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome [Italy] -- Since its foundation the basilica is associated with Helena, the mother of Constantine. The presence of several relics related to the Holy Cross, including the most famous Titulus Crucis, is attested as early as in the 12th century. They are now housed in the Cappella delle Reliquie, built in 1930 by architect Florestano di Fausto.
- Cathedral of Trier [Germany] -- The relic of the Holy Nail is preserved in the Treasure together with the most famous relic of the Holy Robe.
- Cathedral of Colle di Val d'Elsa, near Siena [Italy] -- The relic of the Holy Nail was purchased in 1357 by the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena [Italy], supposedly from the Imperial Palace of Constantinople. First housed in the Chapel of the Holy Nail at the Hospital, it was then presented to the Cathedral of Colle Val d'Elsa, where it is still today preserved in a tabernacle by Mino da Fiesole.
- Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria -- The relic of the Holy Nail is embedded in the Vienna Holy Lance.
Modern relics
In 2011 filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici claimed to have found two nails used in the crucifixion of Jesus. They supposedly came from the Tomb of the House of Caiaphas, accidentally discovered at the end of 1990 near Jerusalem. The claim is based on some ingenious speculations; there is no evidence that connects the two nails with the tomb of Caiaphas and the crucifixion of Jesus.
In Depth
- Holy Nails (sources) -- survey of ancient sources
- Holy Nails (arts) -- survey of fictional works
- Holy Nails (research) -- survey of scholarly works
External links
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