The empty tomb in San Michael cemetery in Venice

The small island in the Venice lagoon that can be seen when heading to Murano houses the Venice cemetery, founded during the 19th century and still used nowadays as the burial place for Venice residents.

Here many illustrious personalities are buried, such as the psychiatrist Franco Basaglia, the scientist Christian Doppler, the musician Igor Stravinsky, the artist Emilio Vedova and many more. Visiting the Venice cemetery is a very touching experience, also for the many peculiar details that characterize it.

To mention just one, in the section reserved for nuns there is a tomb that has been enshrining a mystery for over sixty years. This is the tomb of Mother Vittora Gregoris of the Convent of San Francesco della Vigna, who died in 1947 in odour of sanctity.

When she was near her death, the nun told the sisters kneeled at her bed that, if her grave was to be opened, her body wouldn't be found. Indeed, when exhumation took place after six years, the coffin only contained her clothes and a rosary, and no traces of her bones or body could be found…