RELIC OF SAINT VINCENT FERRER

Rare 18th-century silver reliquary with a glass front, containing a relic of Saint Vincent Ferrer.

This circular reliquary features a silver mount adorned with a radiating border of gadroons, characteristic of 18th-century convent craftsmanship. Its antique glazed front protects an interior composition preserved in its original condition.

The background consists of a pale silk textile, enriched with paperolle decoration and scrolls of rolled paper. A border of metallic bullion wire surrounds the central medallion.

The relic consists of a fragment placed at the center of the composition.

It is identified by a handwritten label:

“S. Vinc. Ferr.”

→ Sanctus Vincentius Ferrerius

Translation: Saint Vincent Ferrer.

It is therefore a relic of Saint Vincent Ferrer, the renowned Dominican preacher.

Good antique condition with original old glass.
Unopened.
Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present.

PERIOD: 18th century
DIMENSIONS: 3.5 cm × 3 cm
SIZE: 1.4" × 1.2"

Saint Vincent Ferrer (1350–1419), a Dominican friar from Valencia, was one of the greatest preachers of the late Middle Ages. He travelled throughout Western Europe, calling the faithful to conversion and achieving widespread renown for his eloquence and the numerous miracles attributed to him.

He played an important role during the Western Schism before being canonized in 1455 by Pope Callixtus III. He is traditionally invoked as the patron saint of preachers and as a peacemaker.

His relics were preserved with great veneration, primarily in Vannes Cathedral, where he died in 1419. Authenticated fragments were subsequently distributed sparingly among various religious communities.

The paperolle and metallic bullion decoration surrounding the relic is characteristic of Baroque devotional art. It highlights the sacred fragment and makes this reliquary a remarkable testimony to 18th-century Catholic devotion.