Summary
On August 29, 1953, Antonina Giusto reportedly witnessed tears running down a small plaster image of the Virgin Mary above her bed in Syracuse, Sicily. Over the following four days, the phenomenon was said to recur dozens of times, drawing crowds to the modest family home. Witnesses described liquid flowing from the Madonna's eyes, and an amateur filmmaker reportedly captured the event on film. On September 1, a medical commission collected samples and identified characteristics consistent with human tears. The Catholic bishops of Sicily subsequently recognised the reported weeping as authentic. Yet the question of how the liquid appeared remains at the heart of this extraordinary case.
Additional Notes
On the morning of August 29, 1953, an extraordinary event was reported inside a modest home at Via degli Orti di San Giorgio 11 in Syracuse, Sicily. Antonina Lucia Giusto, who was pregnant and had been suffering from episodes of impaired vision, reportedly noticed tears flowing down the face of a small plaster image of the Virgin Mary hanging above her bed. The image, measuring approximately 28 centimetres in height, depicted the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It had been given to Antonina and her husband, Angelo Iannuso, as a wedding present earlier that year. News spread rapidly through the neighbourhood. Crowds gathered outside the house, hoping to witness the phenomenon themselves. According to accounts preserved by the sanctuary, the alleged weeping occurred repeatedly between August 29 and September 1, with at least 58 episodes reported. The image was sometimes displayed outside the home because of the number of visitors. On August 30, local amateur filmmaker Nicola Guarino reportedly captured approximately 300 frames showing the phenomenon. These historical recordings became an unusual feature of a case otherwise dependent largely on eyewitness testimony. The most significant investigation took place on September 1. A commission of medical and laboratory specialists, acting with the authorisation of the Archdiocese of Syracuse, examined the image and collected approximately one cubic centimetre of liquid. According to the commission's report, the sample contained substances also found in human tears. The investigators classified it as human tear fluid and reported no satisfactory explanation for its appearance on the plaster image. The laboratory findings established the reported composition of the collected liquid, but did not independently establish a supernatural origin. On December 13, 1953, the Catholic bishops of Sicily issued a statement accepting the authenticity of the reported weeping. Their judgement became the foundation for the image's growing religious significance. The original family home was subsequently preserved as the Casa del Pianto, or House of Weeping. A much larger sanctuary was later constructed in Syracuse to accommodate pilgrims, and the original plaster image is now displayed there. The case remains remarkable for its combination of extensive public attention, contemporary film documentation, laboratory examination and formal ecclesiastical recognition. Whether the reported tears had a natural, human or miraculous origin remains a matter of interpretation.
The Location Today
Casa del Pianto (Via degli Orti di San Giorgio 11, Syracuse, Sicily) : The original home has been preserved as a place of worship, with a reconstruction of the couple's bedroom. Visitors can enter during designated hours. Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime (Via del Santuario 33, Syracuse, Sicily): The original plaster image is displayed in the sanctuary, which also houses historical material relating to the alleged weeping. Public Access – both the sanctuary and the original house are open to visitors during designated hours.
- Environment
- Urban Area, Residential Area
- Time of Day
- Various times, day and night
- Evidence Level
- Investigated Case
- Visiting the Location
- Limited
- Ownership of the Location
- Private