The relic of the Sacred Wood of the Cross of Jesus Christ, originally kept in the Church of San Pietro, was housed in the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist, where a beautiful painting by the Vasto-born artist Nicola Tiberi was also displayed.
In 1690, Cardinal Altieri, the protector of the Church of San Pietro, donated the Holy Cross relic, decreeing that its feast should be celebrated on May 3rd, the Feast of the Cross of Jesus. The devotion of the faithful grew so intense that the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist became adorned with numerous ex-votos, tokens of gratitude for received blessings.
In 1922, the parish priest at the time commissioned the construction of a new chapel to properly house the sacred relic and allow for its veneration, particularly between May and August, when prayers were offered for a bountiful harvest.
After the 1956 landslide, which led to the demolition of San Pietro, the fragment of the Holy Cross was transferred to the Church of Sant’Antonio. To this day, it is displayed in solemn procession by the Confraternity del Santissimo Sacramento during the annual celebration on May 3rd.
