The tomb of Saint Teresa of Jesus was reopened this Wednesday after 110 years – the last time this happened in 1914 – for a study on the conservation of the relics to be carried out by a group of Italian experts.
The postulator general of the Barefoot Carmelite Order, Marco Chiesa, reported after the start of studies on the tomb of Saint Teresa of Jesus that the body of the mystic retains “the same visual appearance” as in 1914, the date of its last opening.
This study will serve to verify the state of conservation of the reliquaries of the heart and the arm deposited in the Basilica of Alba de Tormes, in Salamanca, and of the hand, which were transferred in recent days from Ronda (Málaga).
Regarding the result of the analysis that will be carried out, the Postulator General said that it is still too early to give details. “We will be able to learn information of great interest about Teresa as well as recommendations for the conservation of the relics, but this will be done at another stage,” he said.
On the other hand, the prior of Alba de Tormes, Miguel Ángel González, described that on that first day of work “the body was x-rayed with appropriate state-of-the-art instruments.”
The urn was opened with the four keys that protect it, and then the scientific team led by Luigi Capasso was left to work.
The idea is that this study is similar to the one carried out in 1991 with the tomb of San Juan de la Cruz, in Segovia, during the commemoration of the fourth centenary of the death of the religious and writer from Fontiveros (Ávila).
The prior explained that the analysis work will last until Saturday, in the hope that it will certify a good state of conservation.
