Lucca, Italy
Gloria in excelsis Deo. (“Glory to God in the highest,” from the Latin.)
—Bible, Luke 2:14
The Lucca Cathedral of Saint Martin houses a unique sacred treasure: the miraculous Volto Santo (Holy Face), a carved wooden crucifix purportedly carved by Nicodemus (who accompanied Joseph of Arimathea to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus); unable to carve the face, Nicodemus fell asleep and an angel finished the work. The richly decorated medieval cathedral in the heart of Lucca’s old town also has a finger labyrinth, its grooves worn deep through centuries of tracings.
If the veneration of holy icons or relics deepens your devotion or you would like to work with your dreams for revelations, come to the Cathedral of Saint Martin, but plan on arriving for the Luminara, or candlelight procession, on September 13, honoring the carving of the Volto Santo (perhaps done by miraculous holy light and the hands of angels).
Incubate a dream: eat lightly, take a bath before bed, and meditate with your head against the pillow, asking for spiritual elucidation or guidance in your dream, affirming that you will remember the dream upon awakening.
Hidden in a cave in the Holy Land for centuries, the Volto Santo was discovered by a bishop who had a revelatory dream. This carving displayed today is a thirteenth-century copy of the original that was splintered away by pilgrims desiring pieces of it.