Saint Januarius, Bishop of Naples, is a holy martyr of the Roman Catholic Church and revered by the Orthodox churches. He was imprisoned during his visit to the imprisoned Deacons in the Puteoli sulfur mines, present-day Pozzuoli.
There he was tortured for a long time, once even thrown to lions in Pozzuoli's Flavian amphitheater. Ultimately, in 305 AD. he was beheaded in Solfatar along with his comrades.
According to an early description of his life, his relics were transferred by order of the Bishop of the Saint North of Naples to the Neapolitan catacombs.
At the beginning of the 10th century, by order of Prince Benevento Sico, his body was transferred to Beneventum, and his head remained in Naples. During the riots during the time of Frederick Barbarossa, his body was again transported to a new location - to the Abbey of Montevergine, where it was rediscovered in 1480.
There is very little information about his life and work, but the most amazing thing this saint is known for is the alleged miracle of the annual liquefaction of his blood, which was first discovered in 1389.
His dried blood is stored in safe little capsules in Cancer. These capsules are taken out and displayed next to his relics 3 times a year, and the dried blood becomes liquid.
Blood of Saint Yanturius.
Thousands of people gather to see with their own eyes this wonderful event in the Cathedral of Naples. Standing at the main altar among the worshipers, the archbishop lifts a glass vessel, which is said to contain the dried blood of Saint Yanturius, the patron saint of Naples.
Promotional video:
When the liquefaction has occurred, the archbishop lifts the bottle again so that everyone can see the miracle that happened.
The archbishop shows a glass vessel with blood.
After the blood liquefaction is officially announced, the event is greeted with a 21-gun salute in Castel Nuovo. The ceremony takes place three times a year.
Castel Nuovo XIII century.
The largest celebration of the martyrdom of the saint on September 19.
Scientists have tried to explain this event by saying that the miracle of liquefaction does not involve blood, but rather a thixotropic gel such as hydrated iron oxide, FeO (OH), which has shown similar behavior in the laboratory, but the fact that dried blood liquefies on certain dates adds even more mystery.