When: September 14
Where: Milan, Italy
Cost: Free

Watch Milan’s Archbishop ascend like the Wizard of Oz towards the ceiling of the Duomo in a rickety mechanical basket to bring down the relic.

It supposedly comes from the cross on which Christ died.

The nail’s history is unclear. It may have arrived with St Ambrosius, around the 4th century AD, or a few centuries later with the Crusaders.

Either way, this bizarre event is a must-see if you find yourself in Milan in September.

Fly there direct with Easyjet, Air Malta or Meridiana.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.