Un Volto misterioso e amatissimo

Abstract

The essay explores the history and cult of the Volto Santo of Lucca, one of the most venerated reliquary statues of the Middle Ages. Legend has it that the statue, carved by Nicodemus and miraculous due to divine intervention, arrived in Luni on an unmanned ship and was later brought to Lucca. The cult of the Volto Santo had a significant impact on culture and popular devotion, influencing writers, painters, and composers over the centuries. The essay also examines historical and artistic testimonies that attest to the spread of the cult throughout Europe.