The tomb of St. Cecilia, the first incorrupt saint. This famous effigy depicts the position her body was found in. Note the wound in her neck from her martyrdom., Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, Rome. read more
We do not know whether St Cecilia was a real, historical person but, as with many other supposedly virgin Christian martyrs, the stories of her life and miracles are mere legends. Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry says: When Cecilia lived is unknown, although some say she died about 177 C.E. read more
The year of St Cecilia's birth is unknown, but it is believed she died about 177 A.D. Cecilia was a member of a rich and distinguished Roman family, who gave her in marriage to a young nobleman named Valerian, despite her desire to remain a virgin. read more
Her remains were moved to a new site in 822, and in 1599 an exhumation revealed her body to be incorrupt. Over the centuries more than 100 cases of saints whose bodies have remained incorruptible have come to light, sometimes, as with St. Cecilia, many years after their death. read more