Blessed Carlo Acutis had conceived and created a beautiful traveling exhibition on Eucharistic Miracles. This exhibition continues to travel throughout Italy and the world; all the Eucharistic miracles featured in the exhibition have been compiled in the book Eucharistic Miracles in the World, from which this text is taken.
In 1472, during the war that broke out between Volterra (PI) and Florence, a Florentine soldier who had entered the cathedral of Volterra managed to seize the precious ivory ciborium containing numerous consecrated hosts. As soon as he left the church, overcome by a fit of rage against Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, he threw the ciborium and its precious contents against a wall of the cathedral. All the particles spilled out and, illuminated by a mysterious light, miraculously rose into the air, where they remained suspended for quite some time. Numerous witnesses saw the event.
The main causes that triggered the pointless War of the Alumiere, which ended with the sacking of Volterra in 1472 by the troops of the Duke of Montefeltro, were above all the conflicts that had erupted between the various social classes and Lorenzo de' Medici's personal interests. Incorporated into the Florentine state, Volterra was subjected to harsh treatment, which led to the emigration of many wealthy families and the subsequent disposal of their assets at prices reflecting bankruptcy.
It was in this historical context that our Eucharistic miracle took place in 1472. Among the most authoritative accounts describing the prodigy is the written report of Friar Biagio Lisci, who witnessed it firsthand and whose report is now preserved in the archives of the Church of San Francesco, along with several municipal records kept in the municipal library of Volterra. A Florentine soldier entered the cathedral church and immediately went to the tabernacle, from which he took the ciborium containing the consecrated hosts, along with numerous sacred objects. As soon as he left the church, overcome by an intense hatred of Jesus in the Eucharist, he hurled the ciborium against one of the cathedral's exterior walls. All the hosts spilled out and, as if supported by an invisible hand, rose into the air, radiant with light. The soldier fell to the ground in terror and, repentant, began to weep. Numerous witnesses saw the prodigy.
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