For nearly a decade, pilgrims from across the globe trekked to a small Italian town to see what many believed was a miracle
For nearly 10 years, a small Italian town has been a pilgrimage site for believers from around the world, drawn by what many considered a miracle – a statue of the Virgin Mary weeping tears of blood. However, recent scientific tests suggest a less heavenly explanation.
Since 2016, the Madonna di Trevignano effigy has attracted thousands of worshippers. Its guardian, Gisella Cardia, claimed that the statue not only shed tears of blood but also conveyed messages and visions to her.
On the third day of each month, visitors would congregate at a hillside shrine where the figure was housed in blue glass, listening to prophecies and occasionally partaking in what were described as miraculous feasts.
Cardia even claimed the Madonna once multiplied servings of pizza, gnocchi and rabbit to feed more than a dozen people – a statement that only intensified the passion of the faithful.
The statue itself had modest origins. Cardia bought it during a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town renowned for reports of apparitions, reports the Express.
However, shortly after, she insisted, the image began to display supernatural signs – most notably, streams of blood-like liquid flowing from its eyes. To many believers, this was evidence of divine intervention.
Doubts about authenticity persisted. Some locals suggested that pig’s blood was being used to create the effect, while others accused Cardia of exploiting faith for personal benefit.
Two years ago, tensions escalated when locals hired a private investigator to scrutinise her claims. This investigation eventually led to the involvement of prosecutors and the Italian military police.
In February 2025, the case took a significant turn. As reported by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, DNA analysis of the red fluid revealed a shocking match – not with animals, but with Cardia herself.
The report suggests that the liquid was her own blood, casting new doubts on years of alleged miracles.
Lead investigator Achille Cohen-Tavor described it as “a breakthrough in separating faith from fraud,” although he refrained from declaring the case closed. For the prosecution, these results provide vital evidence in ongoing proceedings, which have already seen Cardia accused of fraud after accepting donations she claimed would fund a centre for ill children.
The Vatican had already distanced itself. Last year, in an unusual decree, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith reviewed findings from the local Diocese of Civita Castellana and concluded there was nothing supernatural about the Madonna di Trevignano.
The statement urged calm among believers, emphasising that true devotion should not be linked to unverified phenomena.
However, Cardia’s defence team remains defiant. Her solicitor, Solange Marchignoli, maintains that the DNA analysis does not necessarily contradict her client’s testimony.
“The stain warrants further investigation,” she said. “If the profile is single, it would mean only Cardia’s blood is present, which could suggest fabrication. But if the profile is mixed, it raises other possibilities. Who can say what the Madonna’s DNA might be?”.
She contended regular touching, kissing and prayers at the statue could have easily deposited traces of Cardia’s blood.
The case has captivated Italy, where reports suggest Cardia has abandoned her home in Trevignano and disappeared from public sight, with even her solicitor claiming she has lost contact.
The Catholic Church has long grappled with alleged apparitions and miraculous claims. Some, like those at Lourdes or Fatima, have been officially recognised.
Many more, however, have been rejected after failing to withstand examination.
