Chapel of the Holy Ring – Cathedral of Perugia Pilgrimage

The Story:

The Cathedral of Perguia is a Roman Catholic Cathedral located in the Umbrian region of Italy that was originally built in 1345. The first chapel within the Cathedral is home to a sacred relic, the Holy Ring, the wedding ring of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The ring is only available for public viewing annually on July 31st.

The ring is made of quartz. Record show the ring had been in possession with a Jewish family, until Virgin Mary appeared to the Jewish merchant in a dream and gave it to an Italian Goldsmith. Then a goldsmith from Chiusi, Italy did acquire the ring from the Jewish merchant, he, too, did not believe the ring’s authenticity until he had a vision. In Italy, the ring was moved several times, each time to increase its security. Separately, an 18th-century visionary known as Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich, confirmed the ring’s authenticity in a vision she had of the ring.

The ring is housed in a reliquary where it hangs below a silver crown. The reliquary always remains behind curtains on the altar, except annually on July 31st when it is presented on the altar for viewing and veneration.