Relic of Saint James the Greater, Apostle in pure sterling silver reliquary

The reliquary is accompanied by its original Roman ecclesiastical Authentica, dated 16 June 1908, issued under the authority of Cardinal Pietro Respighi (1843–1913), Cardinal-Priest of Santi Quattro Coronati and Vicar General of Rome, one of the highest ecclesiastical offices in the Diocese of Rome.

Cardinal Respighi had been created Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1899 and served as Cardinal Vicar of Rome from 1900 until his death in 1913.

Dimensions of the theca: 3 × 2.5 cm.

Saint James the Greater, Apostle, son of Zebedee and brother of Saint John the Evangelist, was one of the Twelve Apostles and belonged, together with Saint Peter and Saint John, to the closest circle of Christ’s disciples.

He witnessed some of the most important events of Christ’s ministry, including the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Saint James was put to death by the sword under King Herod Agrippa I, making him the first of the Twelve Apostles whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament.

Ancient Christian tradition associates Saint James with missionary preaching, while his enduring cult became especially centered upon Santiago de Compostela, one of the greatest pilgrimage destinations of medieval and modern Christianity.

This important relic is preserved in an elegant solid sterling silver oval theca, containing a substantial sacred fragment identified as belonging to Saint James the Greater, Apostle, mounted beneath glass and accompanied by its original identification label.

All original threads and ecclesiastical seals remain intact. The relic is accompanied by its original Authentica, dated 16 June 1908, preserving the integrity and documented ecclesiastical provenance of this exceptional ensemble.