Basilica of Volto Santo - Manoppello (Province of Chieti)

It is located in the town of Manoppello, also known as Sanctuary of Volto Santo. It is one of the most important pilgrim destination in Abruzzo and Italy, since it stores the image of a face, claimed the Veil of Veronica. A piece of cloth of Saint Veronica (veil) used to wipe the blood and sweat off the face of Jesus, so his image was imprinted on the cloth on the way to Calvary. According to the local lore, an anonymous pilgrim arrived in 1506 in the church of St. Nicola and gave the cloth to the Leonelli family. The veil was given to the Capuchins, who still hold it today.

According to the professor H. Pfeiffer the relic is the only one Acheiropoieta, image of Christ not created by a human, with the Turin Shroud, representing the original face of Jesus. In 2006 Pope Benedict XVI visited the sanctuary and honored the site with the title of Basilica minore.

The interior houses a valuable section of sacred art and ethnology. Moreover a beautiful wood tabernacle made by the Capuchins during the XVIII century is located in the ex voto room.