Title: "Madonna of Holy Blood " (Painting)
 At sunset on Tuesday, a certain John Zucono together with his friend Comolo played the "Piodella" on the square in front of the village church, dedicated to St. Maurizio. The game was put on a dice made of wood or stone (the "wizard") a coin for each player. About hitting the "wizard" with Piodella (a splinter of stone round) could spread around the coins by those closest to her "Piodella." John, already known for being a sore loser, lost some unknown amount of money, but enough to trigger anger in him. And Zucono takes issue with the peaceful image of the Madonna that is there within walking distance under the portico of the church, painted on the facade, to the right of the entrance door. Blinded by rage throws the "Piodella" against the image and struck her forehead. Reprimanded by his mate and he repented of his act, John kneels before the Madonna and asks for forgiveness. Then, all caught two by a feeling of fear, flee.
In the night, around 11, King John of Minola and Antonio Ardicio of Craveggia, passing the church, notice a strange glow on the porch as if there was a lighted candle. They, too, seized with fear, hurried away. Before dawn the sacristan of Gisla Stefano, as he prepares to open the church to the sound of the Hail Mary is kneeling before the image of a woman dressed in white, thinks he recognizes his neighbor and greets without receiving response, but does not realize what is happening on the fresco. Out almost immediately and the the woman is no longer in the church. An old man named Bartolomeo first discovered the miraculous event. In a pious gesture to touch the image of the Madonna and kissing her hand, he realizes with astonishment that he is soaked with blood. He watches the Madonna and sees that the wound of the head comes out a stream of blood. He runs to the rector of the church Don James. He rings the church bells and the news spreads from house to house, from village to village. People flock and flocking on the porch of the church with his eyes fixed on bloody begging aloud: "Mercy, Mercy." "It seemed that the earth trembled."
Throughout the day and the night after many people remain on the site of the miracle to pray with lighted candles in hand. After midnight the flow of blood increases and drops to the ground giving off a pleasing odor "impossible to describe." On the floor was buffered blood with 'white napkins' that the pastor collects in a cloth and puts it in a cup. The effusion of blood takes about three weeks until May 18 intermittently and less abundant as a wound that heals slowly. For each issue of blood was the sound of bells announcing the event to call the people rushing there "day and night".
What happened cannot be considered a legend, as well documented in two authentic parchments, signed by the mayor of Valle, Daniele Crespi and Angelo Romano, and countersigned, the first of four notaries, whose names appear in the municipal archives of Vigezzo. The sacred image is venerated in the Shrine dedicated precisely to the "Madonna of the blood."
Source: http://www.latheotokos.it
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