FIRST-CLASS RELIC OF JOSEPH COTTOLENGO

Rare oval bronze reliquary with glass front, containing a first-class relic ex ossibus of the Blessed Joseph Cottolengo. The relic, carefully arranged at the center of a gold filigree decoration on a red silk background, is identified by an original Latin label: “Ex ossibus B. Josephi Cottoleri”. The whole presents a refined mounting, typical of Italian religious workshops, with rolled gilt-paper motifs and symmetrical ornamentation. The reliquary retains its original glass as well as its ecclesiastical seal and sealing silk threads, perfectly intact, attesting that it has never been opened. A slight oxidation of the metal rim is visible, consistent with the age of the piece.

Authenticated relics of the Blessed Joseph Cottolengo remain particularly sought after, due to the great veneration he has enjoyed since the 19th century and the importance of his work in the service of the poor and the sick. His relics are traditionally preserved in the houses of the Little House of Divine Providence, founded by him in Turin, and are only very rarely available on the antiquarian market.

PERIOD : 19th century
DIMENSIONS : 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm
SIZE : 1.8" × 1.4"

The Blessed Joseph-Benedict Cottolengo (1786–1842) was an Italian priest deeply devoted to Christian charity. Moved by the material and moral misery he observed in the society of his time, he founded in 1832 the Little House of Divine Providence, a vast network of works dedicated to welcoming the incurably ill, the poor, orphans, people with disabilities, and the abandoned. Cottolengo was distinguished by an absolute trust in divine Providence, which he invoked tirelessly to provide for the needs of the most vulnerable. Canonized for the holiness of his life and the scope of his action, he remains a major figure of Catholic charity. His feast day is celebrated on April 30.