An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's OddestTownPenguin, 2009 M07 9 - 304 pages Read David Farley's posts on the Penguin Blog.A tour through the centuries and through a bizarre Italian town in search of an unbelievable relic: the foreskin of Jesus Christ In December 1983, a priest in the Italian hill town of Calcata shared shocking news with his congregation: the pride of their town, the foreskin of Jesus, had been stolen. Some postulated that it had been stolen by Satanists. Some said the priest himself was to blame. Some even pointed their fingers at the Vatican. In 2006, travel writer David Farley moved to Calcata, determined to find the missing foreskin, or at least find out the truth behind its disappearance. Farley recounts how the relic passed from Charlemagne to the papacy to a marauding sixteenth-century German solider before finally ending up in Calcata, where miracles occurred that made the sleepy town a major pilgrimage destination. Blending history, travel, and perhaps the oddest story in Christian lore, An Irreverent Curiosity is a weird and wonderful tale of conspiracy and misadventure. |
Contents
OH CALCATA | |
THE FATHER OF ALL FORESKINS | |
FAMILY JEWELS | |
THE STENCH OF MYSTERY | |
ITALIAN FOR DUMMIES | |
THE ULTIMATE CIRCUMCISION | |
SACRED CHOW | |
PRECIOUS RUBBISH | |
DOLCETTO O SCHERZETTO? | |
MISSING PIECES | |
ENERGY BOOSTERS | |
CURSED | |
RED SKIN | |
IL GIALLO | |
CA DANTE | |
FOR THE BIRDS | |
LOOKING FOR THE KEYS TO ST PETERS | |
ARMIES FOR JESUS | |
A HISTORY OF NOTHING | |
THE FORESKIN PHENOMENON | |
THE CONFESSION | |
THE DAY CALCATA CAVED | |
SYMPOSIUM AD NAUSEAM | |
THE CAPITAL OF MAGIC | |
HOLY FEAST | |
Other editions - View all
An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy ... David Farley No preview available - 2010 |
An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy ... David Farley No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
actually apartment asked Athon began believe bishop body building Calcata Calcata Nuova called century Chapter Christ Christian church circumcision couple cross didn’t disappearance Don Dario door Elena energy English eventually face fact feel finally friends front gave Gianni give glass going hand happened he’d head heard Holy Foreskin hoping inside it’s Italian Italy Jessie Jesus knew later least living looking medieval mention minutes moved needed never nodded officially Omar once Pancho Paolo Patrizia Paul perhaps person piece pope prepuzio priest reason relic reliquary Roman Rome saints seemed side sitting someone speak square steps stopped sure taken talk tell things thought told took town trying Turin turned Vatican village walked wanted weeks wine writing