The Holy Lance—often called the Lance of Longinus—is the spear said to have pierced the side of Jesus during the crucifixion. According to Christian tradition, the Roman soldier Longinus used it to confirm death, and the wound released blood and water, a detail loaded with theological symbolism. Across centuries, the lance drifted from scripture into legend. Medieval Europe treated it as a relic of terrifying power: a weapon that granted victory in battle and legitimacy to rulers who possessed i

St. Peter’s Basilica Exposition of Spear of Saint Longinus (Lent 2024) | Crux Stationalis