For almost ten years people have been traveling to a house near Rome because they believed they were seeing miracles happen there. Forensic laboratories and prosecutors are now examining DNA samples collected from red marks on the face of a statue. They are trying to determine if this represents a genuine divine event or if someone deliberately created a fake miracle. The investigation focuses on understanding the source of the red streaks that appeared on the statue. Scientists are using modern testing methods to analyze the biological material. Their goal is to establish whether the phenomenon has a natural explanation or if it was manufactured by someone with deceptive intentions. Authorities want to know if the pilgrims who visited the location were witnessing something authentic or if they were victims of an elaborate scheme. The case has attracted significant attention because of the number of believers who made the journey to see the statue over such a long period.
A travelling statue and a rising “seer”
The story starts in Medjugorje a pilgrimage site in Bosnia and Herzegovina that became famous for reported appearances of the Virgin Mary since the 1980s. An Italian woman named Gisella Cardia purchased a statue of the Virgin Mary there. She then took it back to Italy and traveled with it across different parts of Europe. She used the statue as a centerpiece for prayer meetings and claimed to have visions connected to it.
By 2014 the statue had settled in Trevignano Romano a lakeside town roughly an hour from Rome. People who lived there and tourists began telling stories about it. Cardia claimed that the Virgin Mary was communicating with her & giving her important messages and predictions about what would happen in the future.
The claims went beyond just visions. Cardia said the statue sometimes cried tears of blood. She also talked about times when food increased in amount during meetings in a way that reminded people of stories from the Gospel. News traveled fast. Buses full of pilgrims showed up. Social media helped spread every new message and claimed miracle.
A small family shrine that started in a backyard garden gradually became a popular destination that attracted many visitors and their financial contributions.
From devotion to investigation
The growing number of visitors brought increased attention from authorities. Church officials from the Diocese of Civita Castellana observed the situation with concern. The Catholic Church typically approaches claims of supernatural appearances with careful deliberation and often requires many years before reaching any official conclusion.
The church leadership started asking questions pretty soon. They were worried about how many messages kept coming the frightening predictions about the end of the world, and the money being made from the events. After some time the Roman Catholic Church in that area said publicly that this was most likely a fake.
Italian prosecutors in Civitavecchia started investigating possible fraud at the same time. Their main suspicion was that the bleeding statue was not a supernatural miracle but a deliberate hoax. They believed it was used to strengthen Cardia’s reputation as a visionary and to encourage donations from believers.
First suspicions about the blood
Early informal checks suggested something unusual. The red liquid flowing from the statue might have been animal blood & possibly pig blood. If this turned out to be true it would mean that someone had tampered with the statue deliberately.
Recent laboratory work has revealed something quite different. Italian news sources including Corriere della Sera report that detailed testing at the University of Tor Vergata near Rome has identified the substance as human blood from a female.
The forensic examination shows that the blood came from a human female. This finding directly challenges the earlier theory that suggested pig blood had been used instead.
DNA tests and a genetic match
The investigation has shifted from simple blood type testing to detailed DNA analysis. A forensic geneticist will now compare the genetic profile from the blood on the statue with samples collected from Gisella Cardia.
According to early information shared with the press the genetic profile taken from the statue matches perfectly with Cardia’s profile. In simple terms, the DNA seems to be hers.
The prosecutors will get the complete DNA report on 28 February. This document might decide if criminal charges will officially move forward.
What investigators are looking for
# Two scenarios interest the investigators:
The research team is examining two possible situations. The first scenario involves a direct connection between the variables under study. In this case the researchers believe that one factor may directly influence another without any intermediate steps. This straightforward relationship would make it easier to understand the underlying mechanisms at work. The second scenario is more complex. Here the investigators consider that multiple factors might interact with each other in various ways. These interactions could create a network of relationships rather than a simple cause and effect pattern. The team thinks this possibility deserves careful attention because real world situations often involve many interconnected elements working together. Both scenarios have important implications for how the study results should be interpreted. The investigators plan to test each possibility using different analytical methods. They will compare the evidence supporting each scenario to determine which one better explains their observations. The research team acknowledges that neither scenario might be completely correct on its own. Reality could involve elements of both possibilities or something entirely different that they have not yet considered. This uncertainty is why they are taking a thorough approach to their investigation. By exploring these two scenarios the investigators hope to gain a clearer understanding of the phenomenon they are studying. Their findings could help other researchers in the field & potentially lead to practical applications. The team remains open to adjusting their hypotheses as new data becomes available during the course of their work.
- A single, clear profile: If the DNA sample from the statue shows one unique, consistent profile that matches Cardia, the conclusion would be straightforward: the blood almost certainly came from her.
- A mixed profile: If the sample contains mixed DNA, including but not limited to Cardia’s, the picture becomes more complex. It would still show contact, but might indicate handling, contamination or the presence of more than one person’s biological material.
In both situations prosecutors will examine whether Cardia deliberately caused or permitted someone to smear blood on the statue while presenting it as a miracle for financial benefit.
If the DNA belongs only to her the investigation changes from an unsolved puzzle to a possible case of fraud that can be tracked through biological evidence.
A legal case built on faith and science
The charges being examined are related to fraud which is a serious crime in Italian law. For the prosecution to prove fraud they need to demonstrate that someone deliberately deceived others to gain material benefits. These benefits could include donations or money from selling religious items or income from organized pilgrimages that were directly connected to the supposed miracles.
Italy has dealt with similar situations in the past. Statues that seem to cry oil and images of saints that look like they move have appeared before. Visionaries who gather big crowds have also shown up. These events have sometimes caught the interest of prosecutors. In some instances nobody ever figures out what really happened. Other times scientific testing shows normal materials and concealed devices at work. The country has a long history with these kinds of occurrences. Religious phenomena continue to emerge across Italian towns and cities. Authorities investigate when large numbers of people get involved. Experts examine the physical evidence when possible. They look for rational explanations behind seemingly miraculous events. Some mysteries remain unsolved even after thorough investigation. But many cases end up having straightforward answers once specialists take a closer look at what is actually happening.
# The Investigation’s True Focus
Investigators want to make something clear from the start. They are not questioning anyone’s faith or putting religious beliefs under scrutiny. That is not what this case is about. The real question centers on deception. Did someone deliberately create false evidence to trick believers? Were signs and miracles manufactured on purpose to mislead people who trusted what they were seeing? This distinction matters greatly. Faith itself remains a personal matter that falls outside the scope of this investigation. What investigators must determine is whether fraud occurred. They need to establish if individuals engineered fake phenomena specifically to manipulate those who believed. The line between genuine religious experience & calculated deception becomes the central issue. When people place their trust in what they perceive as divine signs they deserve honesty. If someone exploited that trust by staging false miracles, that crosses into criminal territory. Investigators approach this work with sensitivity to religious feelings while maintaining their duty to uncover truth. They recognize that many sincere believers may have witnessed these events. The investigation does not challenge their experiences or their faith. It simply asks whether someone behind the scenes orchestrated those experiences through artificial means. Evidence collection focuses on the mechanics of how these signs appeared. Were there hidden devices? Did someone manipulate physical objects? Was there coordination among multiple people to create an illusion? These practical questions guide the investigation forward. The outcome will not declare whether miracles can or cannot happen. Instead it will reveal whether specific incidents resulted from human trickery rather than unexplained phenomena. This factual determination protects both believers and the integrity of genuine religious expression.
The defence: “animated by deep faith”
Cardia’s lawyer Solange Marchignoli has publicly stated that her client stays calm & spiritually centered throughout the investigation. She mentioned that Cardia continues to pray but has not disclosed her current location.
Marchignoli says her client is a woman who has strong religious beliefs and lives a simple life. She points out that this woman would not make any money from faking miracles. Marchignoli believes that no reasonable person would take the risk of creating such a scandal unless they truly had powerful religious faith driving them.
The defence presents Cardia not as someone who plots & schemes but rather as a person of faith whose entire existence would be meaningless without the visions she says she experienced.
Why blood and DNA carry such weight
Religious statues that seem to bleed create strong reactions because blood carries deep symbolic weight in Christianity. It represents sacrifice and suffering and redemption. When blood appears to flow from a statue of Mary it becomes a powerful symbol for people who want reassurance or who interpret it as a warning.
Blood holds just as much significance from a scientific standpoint though for entirely different reasons. Every single drop contains a unique genetic fingerprint. Laboratory technicians can identify the species and sex while creating a complete DNA profile with remarkable accuracy. They accomplish this using the same standard forensic methods that investigators apply in criminal cases that involve assaults or accidents.
| Aspect | Religious meaning | Scientific meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Blood | Symbol of sacrifice and grace | Biological fluid with DNA and markers |
| Tears | Sign of sorrow and compassion | Mixture of water, salts and proteins |
| Statue | Object of veneration | Porous or non-porous material that can hold traces |
The conflict between religious meaning & scientific proof is exactly what makes the Trevignano case so explosive. Many believers think lab reports fail to understand what matters most. Secular authorities consider them the most direct way to find the truth.
How forensic DNA analysis works in such cases
# Investigating
- Collection: Swabs taken from the statue’s surface, both from visible blood and from areas adjacent to the stains.
- Preservation: Samples are stored to prevent degradation, contamination or tampering, usually in sealed, labelled containers.
- Extraction: DNA is extracted from the blood cells and purified, isolating the genetic material.
- Profiling: Specific short DNA segments (STRs) are analysed to generate a numerical and graphical profile.
- Comparison: That profile is compared with reference samples, such as a cheek swab from the suspect.
In legal settings chain-of-custody documentation plays an essential role. Defense attorneys regularly examine every step to find any error that might weaken the results.
Faith, doubt and the impact on believers
Stories like this almost never remain limited to just one Italian town. Videos showing the statue’s supposed tears spread across the internet. Prophecies get translated and passed around in religious groups worldwide. Some believers already feel certain that Mary is delivering critical messages through these events.
Some people have lost faith because of the new DNA test results. They feel foolish for spending money on trips and donations to see the phenomenon. A few supporters still believe in Cardia and say that even if the blood is hers it might still represent a mysterious connection to the Virgin Mary and her suffering.
The same test results that seem like clear evidence to a prosecutor can be seen differently by a devoted believer. They might view those results as another indication of a spiritual connection to Christ’s suffering.
Understanding key terms and what might happen next
# Understanding Key Terms
Some technical & religious terms need explanation. The vocabulary in this discussion includes specialized language that requires clarification. Both technical terminology and religious concepts appear throughout the text that may not be immediately clear to all readers. Technical terms refer to specific words used within particular fields or disciplines. These words often carry precise meanings that differ from everyday usage. Without proper understanding of these terms the full meaning of the text remains unclear. Religious terms present similar challenges. These words connect to specific faith traditions and theological concepts. They carry layers of meaning developed over centuries of religious practice & scholarship. Many religious terms have no direct equivalent in common language. Breaking down these terms serves an important purpose. It makes complex ideas accessible to a wider audience. Readers from different backgrounds can engage with the material when difficult vocabulary receives clear explanation. The process of unpacking terminology involves several steps. First we identify which terms need clarification. Then we examine the context in which each term appears. Finally we provide definitions that capture the essential meaning without oversimplifying. Some terms blend both technical and religious elements. These hybrid concepts require extra attention because they function in multiple contexts simultaneously. Understanding how these terms work in different settings helps readers grasp their full significance. The goal is not to eliminate specialized vocabulary entirely. Rather it is to ensure that necessary technical and religious language does not create barriers to understanding. When readers comprehend the key terms they can focus on the broader arguments & ideas being presented. This approach respects both the complexity of the subject matter and the needs of the audience. It acknowledges that certain concepts require specific terminology while recognizing that explanation makes those concepts more widely accessible.
- Apparition: A reported appearance of a holy figure, such as the Virgin Mary, often accompanied by messages or requests for prayer.
- Fraud: In legal terms, intentional deception designed to secure unfair or unlawful gain, financial or otherwise.
- Genetic profile: A set of DNA markers used to identify an individual with high probability, similar to a genetic barcode.
If prosecutors confirm that the blood on the statue matches Cardia’s blood they could proceed with a trial. The witnesses might include people who used to follow him along with donors & scientists and church officials. The court would look at the scientific evidence and also review financial documents and communications about the supposed miracles & when donations or sales occurred.
A mixed DNA profile might require additional testing. Investigators could examine gloves or cloths or containers that were used during ceremonies. They might also review footage from prayer meetings to look for signs of contact with the statue.
Pilgrims who want to visit places where miracles supposedly happened can learn something useful from this situation. It helps to find out if the local church officially accepts the site or warns people to stay away. This simple step prevents disappointment later on. Asking straightforward questions also matters. Find out who receives the donated money and where it goes. Learn who decides what messages get shared with visitors. Ask how the people running the site check if miracle claims are actually true. Getting answers to these basic questions protects pilgrims from getting hurt emotionally or losing money to dishonest operations. Many people visit these sites during vulnerable moments in their lives. They might be searching for healing or looking for spiritual answers during difficult times. This makes it especially important to approach these places with some caution. A little research beforehand can make the difference between a meaningful spiritual experience and a regrettable mistake. The church has systems in place to investigate miracle claims for good reasons. These processes exist to protect believers from fraud and false hope. When a site operates without church approval or oversight it raises legitimate concerns about authenticity and intentions.
Many believers find that remarkable spiritual claims form an essential part of their faith. The conflict between spiritual yearning and logical examination will probably continue even as DNA technology keeps converting religious questions into scientific measurements.
