About
Building this church, which houses two sacred vessels believed to contain Christ's blood, took more than 300 years.
The Basilica di Sant’Andrea stands in Mantua’s historical center, overlooking the Piazza Mantegna, and it is said that while Jesus was being crucified, a Roman soldier named Longinus pierced his side with a lance. After Jesus died, Longinus repented for his sin and collected the blood-soaked soil from underneath the cross. That mix of blood and earth is now considered a holy relic, the Preziosissimo Sangue di Cristo. Though stories vary, Longinus is said to have eventually made his way to Mantua, where the relic would eventually be housed in the Basilica di Sant’Andrea.
