Best Bones

These skeletal remains represent the relics of Sariputta and Mahamoggallana, key disciples of the Buddha. Discovered at Sanchi, India in 1851 by Alexander Cunningham, they are significant as physical links to early Buddhist figures. The bones offer a tangible connection for Buddhists interested in t...

The Relics of the Three Magi are bone fragments believed to be those of the biblical Magi who visited Jesus after his birth. These relics, housed within the Shrine of San Salvatore in Cologne Cathedral, represent a significant pilgrimage destination for Catholics since their arrival in 1164. The col...

The Relics of St. Francis of Assisi comprise remains associated with the medieval Italian saint. These bones, discovered within his tomb at the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, Italy, are significant objects of veneration for Catholics worldwide. They represent a tangible connection to one of hi...

The Pavia relics represent the remains of St. Augustine of Hippo, a prominent North African theologian and philosopher. Moved to the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel’Oro in the 8th century from Sardinia, these bones are considered a significant Catholic relic. They are valued by pilgrims and scholars...

The Basilica di San Nicola houses relics believed to be those of St. Nicholas, transported from Myra in 1087. These bones are venerated by Roman Catholics as the remains of the bishop and patron saint of children. The basilica attracts pilgrims seeking spiritual connection and commemorating St. Nich...

The Church of the Jacobins in Toulouse houses relics believed to be those of St. Thomas Aquinas, a prominent medieval Catholic theologian and philosopher. These bones were transferred there in 1369 following Pope Urban V’s direction. The remains are significant for scholars studying Dominican though...

St Mark’s Basilica houses relics believed to be those of Saint Mark the Apostle, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. These bones, brought to Venice from Alexandria around 828 AD by Venetian merchants, are considered a profoundly important Catholic relic. The basilica and its associated coll...

The Basilica of Saint-Denis houses relics believed to be those of St. Denis, a 3rd-century Roman martyred Christian. These bones are considered the patron saint of France and were traditionally buried with French monarchs. The basilica remains an important site for Catholic pilgrims and historians s...

The relics of St. Edward the Confessor comprise the bones of the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. These remains, housed within a medieval shrine in Westminster Abbey, represent a significant historical and religious artifact. They were central to royal burial practices for centuries and are of inte...

The Church of St. George in Lod contains relics believed to be those of Saint George, a fourth-century soldier and Christian martyr. These bones are considered an important Orthodox religious artifact. The church draws pilgrims seeking connection with this significant figure in Christian tradition a...

St. Ignatius of Loyola’s bones are preserved as a relic within a gilded bronze urn located at the Church of the Gesù in Rome. This collection represents the remains of the founder of the Society of Jesus, a pivotal figure in the Catholic Church's history. The relics are significant for Roman Catholi...

The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan houses the remains of St. Ambrose, a pivotal figure in the development of Christian Milan and the Western Church. These bones, believed to be those of the fourth-century bishop, are displayed within a silver and crystal sarcophagus. The relics are venerated by...

The relics represent the remains of St. John Chrysostom, a 4th-century Byzantine bishop and influential orator. He served as Archbishop of Constantinople before his exile. These bones are considered sacred within Eastern Orthodox Christianity and are venerated for their connection to his spiritual l...

Fragments of St. Martin of Tours’ remains are significant Catholic relics originating from the 4th century. These bones, once held by the former Roman soldier and bishop, were a focal point for medieval pilgrims in France seeking spiritual connection. The relics remain important to Catholics today w...

The remains of Saint Cuthbert, founder of the Lindisfarne monastic community, are housed within Durham Cathedral. These bones, dating back to the early medieval period, represent a significant religious relic for Roman Catholics and those studying English history. They were transferred from Lindisfa...

A preserved skull believed to be that of Saint Thomas More resides within St. Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury. Recovered following his execution in 1535 by order of Henry VIII, this relic represents a significant artifact of the English Reformation. It is valued by Roman Catholics and those studying...

The relics of Saint Dominic are encased within the elaborate Shrine of Saint Dominic, located in the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, Italy. The marble sarcophagus was designed by the sculptor Nicola Pisano and completed in 1264. It features detailed sculptural panels narrating the saint's life...

The relics attributed to Gregory of Nazianzus, also called Gregory the Theologian, are associated with the fourth-century bishop, theologian, and Cappadocian Father. Some remains had long been preserved in Rome, including at St. Peter's Basilica, before Pope John Paul II returned a portion to the Ec...

The relics of St. Nicholas at San Nicolò al Lido are bone fragments traditionally identified with the fourth-century bishop of Myra, the figure who later inspired the legend of Santa Claus. Venetian accounts state that sailors brought them from Myra in 1100, after a larger collection had been taken...

The relics of Saint Wenceslaus are interred within the dedicated St. Wenceslaus Chapel inside St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Wenceslaus was a 10th-century Duke of Bohemia who was assassinated, likely by his brother, and subsequently recognized as a martyr and the patron saint of the Czech state. The...

The relics of Saint Cyril are enshrined in the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome. Cyril was a 9th-century Byzantine Christian theologian who, alongside his brother Methodius, undertook a mission to evangelize the Slavic peoples of Great Moravia. He is most famous for co-creating the Glagolitic alphab...

The relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle are preserved in the crypt of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Amalfi, Italy. According to historical accounts, the apostle's remains were brought to the Amalfi Coast from Constantinople by Cardinal Peter of Capua in 1208. The cathedral subsequently became a majo...

The relics of Saint Roch housed in Venice consist of the saint's body, which was transported from Voghera in 1485. They are venerated in the Church of San Rocco, a structure built specifically to house them and completed in the 16th century. The site and the relics are maintained by the Scuola Grand...

The relics of Saint Maurice are housed at the Saint-Maurice Abbey, a monastery located in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. The site has been a center of Christian pilgrimage since the late Roman period, marking the legendary martyrdom of Saint Maurice and the Theban Legion. King Sigismund of Burgu...

The relics of Saint Ambrose and the early Christian martyrs Gervase and Protase are housed together in a crypt beneath the main altar of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. Saint Ambrose, the 4th-century Bishop of Milan, reportedly discovered the remains of the martyred brothers in 386. Upon his...

The relics of Saint Helena are enshrined in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome. Helena was the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and is venerated for her late-life Christian pilgrimage to Palestine around 326 AD. According to historical tradition, she discovered the relic of...

The relics of Saint Gall are housed at the Abbey of Saint Gall in St. Gallen, Switzerland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Saint Gall (c. 550-646) was an Irish monk who traveled as a disciple of Saint Columbanus to the European continent, eventually settling as a hermit in the area that wou...

The relics of Saint Stanislaus are housed in a silver sarcophagus located in Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland. Stanislaus served as the Bishop of Kraków in the 11th century before his martyrdom by King Bolesław II the Generous. His remains became a major pilgrimage site and a symbol of Polish natio...

The relics of Saint Damien of Molokai, a Roman Catholic priest, are divided between Europe and the United States, honoring his missionary work with leprosy patients in Hawaii. Following his death from the disease in 1889, his body was exhumed in 1936 and returned to his homeland, where it is interre...