A statue of the Virgin Mary in Italy that was said to be “weeping tears of blood” has been at the centre of controversy for years.
Now, new forensic tests have finally provided an answer to the so-called miracle.
Gisella Cardia, who claimed to receive divine messages through Madonna di Trevignano attracted thousands of followers and large sums in donations after she placed the statue in a glass case on a hill in Trevignano Romano.
Since 2016, she insisted that the porcelain figure had been shedding tears of blood, drawing pilgrims to her monthly gatherings.
But in 2023, prosecutors in the city of Civitavecchia launched a fraud investigation, ordering lab tests on the red stains.
Forensic analysis has now revealed that the blood matches Cardia’s own genetic profile.
However, her lawyer, Solange Marchignoli, told Corriere della Sera that further clarification is needed.
She explained: “If the profile is single, it means that it is only Cardia’s and she put it there, so in this case we would go to trial.”
But she argued that a mixed DNA result would mean contact transfer, adding: “which we expect because she used, kissed, and handled it.”
Nonetheless, Cardia has since disappeared from her home in Trevignano, and even her lawyer does not know where she is.
The 53-year-old, who was reportedly previously convicted of bank fraud, built a following by sharing messages she claimed were from the Virgin Mary.
Some of her supporters believed she had even predicted the Covid pandemic.
Others were convinced by her alleged ability to perform miracles, including one claim that she fed 15 people with a small portion of pizza, gnocchi, and rabbit that never ran out.
However, locals soon became sceptical. In 2022, some hired a private investigator, who reportedly gathered evidence suggesting the red liquid was pig’s blood.
Last year, the Catholic Church also formally dismissed the miracle claims.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith upheld a report from the Diocese of Civita Castellana, which found “nothing supernatural” about the statue.
The decree stated: “It is clear that it is not supernatural. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mother of the Church and our Mother, restore peace and serenity in view of the spiritual good of the faithful of the parish of Trevignano Romano and of the people of God who are throughout the Diocese of Civita Castellana.”
The forensic tests were carried out by a famous Italian geneticist Emiliano Giardina who has worked on a number of major cases in the past.
However, Marchignoli has urged caution, saying in a translated statement: “Anyone who takes it for granted that the DNA found on the statue of the Madonna corresponds to that of Gisella Cardia is seriously mistaken.
“I invite everyone to be cautious – because, on the contrary, extremes of a crime would be detected – and I await the official outcome of the expert report, hoping that it will be favorable to our defense.”
