A'Grazia

Whether you're a believer or not, three times a year the Naples Cathedral fills with the faithful to witness His umpteenth miracle. The chosen dates are the first Saturday in May, September 19th, the saint's feast day, and December 16th, the "feast of the patronage of San Gennaro," in commemoration of the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 1631, which he stopped. His blood is exposed before thousands of citizens and faithful who, with bated breath, wait (and hope) for the blood to liquefy. What happens if it doesn't liquefy? Neapolitans begin to tremble because it is a harbinger of great misfortune, and history teaches us this: in 1940, Italy took part in World War II; in 1943, the Nazis occupied the city; in 1980, the Irpinia earthquake... to name a few. And no, in case you're wondering, in 2020, the blood hasn't liquefied!