A rarely seen Neapolitan collection of sumptuous jewellery, hidden away for centuries and estimated to be more valuable than England’s crown jewels, opened in Rome on Tuesday.
The “Treasure of San Gennaro”, precious objects donated in tribute to the patron saint of Naples, has rarely left the southern Italian city and spent centuries locked in a vault, largely forgotten by the wider world.
The 70 pieces were transported under heavily armed guard to a central Rome museum earlier this month and will be on display until February.
Known in English as Januarius, the bishop of Naples was martyred in the 3rd century and remains popular among Catholics.
Thousands gather three times a year to see whether a vial of his coagulated blood will turn to liquid, which they believe to be a miracle bringing good fortune to the city.
Some Neapolitans attribute a 1980 earthquake that killed thousands to the failure of the dried blood to liquefy but skeptics say the liquefaction could be brought about by shaking or heat from hands holding the vial, Reuters informs.
