Saint Clare’s Medieval Heart

You’re looking at a 700+ year-old heart, recovered from a Medieval autopsy of Saint Clare of Montefalco, and considered a miraculous relic demonstrating Clare’s special relationship to God. Also did I mention that this is an actual heart?

When super holy people — I mean “athletes for God” holy– died, Ancient and Medieval Christians thought they had gone straight to heaven, as in do-not-wait for Judgement Day but hang-out with God now — sort of like skipping ahead in the TSA line. You could tell this had happened to a saint from many things, but evidence of producing miracles was one.

Saint Clare had been a devout Christian and Abbess when, in 1294, she collapsed for several weeks and had ecstatic visions while in a near coma. In one, Christ came to her holding his heavy cross and told Clare he was looking for someone to share his burden. Clare volunteered, and Jesus put his cross literally into her heart. For the reminder of her rather short life (she died at 40), Clare suffered from pain — she is a patron saint of people with heart problems. When she died her reputation for piety was so great that her community looked for miracles that would prove her sanctity. In the Middle Ages, that meant taking apart her body.

Although the Church frowned on medical dissection, disembowelment for religious purposes was another story. Indeed, Clare’s heart allegedly had the symbol’s of Jesus’ final suffering and death embedded in it (see second photo): a crucifix, a crown of thorns, and a whip. Although there was a long debate about whether her body had actually preserved a tiny cross etc, eventually the pro-“Clare is a saint” group won out. Today her heart and bones are interred at the Church of Montefalco.