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An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Oddest Town Hardcover – July 9, 2009

by David Farley (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 79 ratings
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A tour through the centuries and through a bizarre Italian town in search of an unbelievable relic: the foreskin of Jesus Christ

In December 1983, a priest in the Italian hill town of Calcata shared shocking news with his congregation: The pride of their town, the foreskin of Jesus, had been stolen. Some postulated that it had been stolen by Satanists. Some said the priest himself was to blame. Some even pointed their fingers at the Vatican. In 2006, travel writer David Farley moved to Calcata, determined to find the missing foreskin, or at least find out the truth behind its disappearance. Farley recounts how the relic passed from Charlemagne to the papacy to a marauding sixteenth-century German solider before finally ending up in Calcata, where miracles occurred that made the sleepy town a major pilgrimage destination. Over the centuries, as Catholic theology evolved, the relic came to be viewed as something of an embarrassment, culminating in a 1900 Church decree that allowed the parish to display it only on New Year's Day.

An Irreverent Curiosity interweaves this history with the curious landscape of Calcata, a beautiful and untouched medieval village set atop four-hundred-fifty-foot cliffs, which now, due to the inscrutable machinations of Italian bureaucracy, is a veritable counterculture coven. Blending history, travel, and perhaps the oddest story in Christian lore, An Irreverent Curiosity is a weird and wonderful tale of conspiracy and misadventure.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Gotham
  4. Publication date
    July 9, 2009
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    5.82 x 1.08 x 9.32 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1592404545
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1592404544
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Until one mysterious day in 1983, the foreskin of Jesus—once one of the Catholic Church's holiest of relics—lay nestled in a box in a small church in Calcata, a village in the hills of northern Italy. On that fateful day in December, however, priest Don Dario announced to his tiny congregation that the foreskin had disappeared. What happened to this holy relic? Who could have taken this piece of the divine that medieval saint Catherine of Siena was purported to have worn as a ring around her finger and about which writers as diverse as Joyce, Stendhal and José Saramago have written? In this humorous narrative, journalist Farley sets off to solve the mystery of the missing foreskin. Part travelogue, part mystery story and part religious history, Farley's tale involves local winemakers, actors and priests, many of whom are tight-lipped about the relic's disappearance. In 1900, the Vatican decreed that anyone who talked about the holy foreskin would face excommunication, and thereby cut off its status as a holy relic. Farley discovers that no one really knows whether this piece of holy skin ever existed in the first place, and that no one knows its whereabouts now. Although Farley's often repetitious tale might have been sufficient as a magazine article, his fast-paced storytelling and winning humor raise thoughtful questions about the nature of faith. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

DAVID FARLEY's travel writing has appeared in The New York Times (including a feature on Calcata), The Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, Slate, and many other publications. He teaches writing at New York University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gotham; First Edition (July 9, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1592404545
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1592404544
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.82 x 1.08 x 9.32 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 79 ratings

About the author

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David Farley

David Farley

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David Farley is the author of "An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Oddest Town" and co-editor of "Travelers' Tales Prague and the Czech Republic: True Stories." His writing also appears in The New York Times, The Washington Post, AFAR magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Slate.com, and Gadling.com, among other publications. He teaches writing at New York University.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
79 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Don W.
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating adventure about a highly unusual subject.
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
I had never heard of the relic he addresses, but surrounding the history with a glimpse of his one-year life in Italy was just fun. He does a credible and aggressive pursuit of the relic's history and political climate, and his descriptions of the dealings during the last one hundred years is fascinating.
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Magdalena Miranda
3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating topic, not so good writting
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2016
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I read this book during a trip to Italy. I set out a spiritual intention, since i walked a leg of the via francigena and wanted to learn more about pilgrimages in general. I heard an interview of the author and the theme of the book really drew my attention. The book is more of a personal account of the author than a non fiction, informative narrative, as the title suggested. Because it is more of a personal account, the tone of the book is very biased and at moments it seemed disrespectful towards those who truly have a true spiritual belief in these things. Im not catholic nor do i venerate saints or relics, but if you are in italy and do visit churches, it enhances your experience if you are respectful and attempt to understand the local customs and beliefs. Thebook is a light read though and somewhat entertaining, although it's not the best writting out there.
One person found this helpful
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JS
4.0 out of 5 stars Padded, but very, very entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2011
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How do you solve a mystery in a town you don't know the language, where everyone knows each other, and the most knowledgeable people would never talk to outsiders? David Farley makes a commendable effort to crack the 20-year-old case of the missing Holy Foreskin, and while doing so imparts a good feel of Italy, knowledge of the town of Calcata, a load of history, an insight into the bewildering New Age culture, and a whole lot of entertainment. This book was worth every penny. I would undoubtedly recommend it to everyone.

The only problem is that (spoilers! ---------) he leaves us facing a much deeper mystery than we had before, and only barely and accidentally cracks the surface of rumors and cover-ups surrounding this event. The asides made this book extremely enjoyable, but I can't help but think that another researcher, most likely a native Italian, needs to get to the bottom of this before all the chief figures involved with the theft/reclaiming/disappearance/whatever it was pass away.
3 people found this helpful
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Michael J. M.
5.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable read...
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2011
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First of all, I have to confess that, like the author, I am fascinated by the idea and history of relics - so that may bias me a little.

Basically this book recounts the author's search for the "lost" relic of the Holy Foreskin - the little piece of flesh cut of Christ's penis during his circumcision and venerated in many places in Europe up until the 20th century. Thus, one can see why the book was called "An Irreverent Curiosity".

However, I did not find the book irreverent at all. In all honestly, the author treated the topic with more maturity than I would have been able to do. However, while the main focus of the book was on the Holy Foreskin, this book was much more. It was also an account of everyday life in a small town of Italy filled with a variety of interesting characters who the author described in a way which made the reader feel like he was getting to know them (in person) as well. I think I found that aspect of the book - the study of the people and their relationships in this small town - very enjoyable.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to individuals with an interest in relics (unless you are a "fundamentalist" when it comes to that topic) and to individuals who enjoy character studies of real people.

I think this author would be a fun guy to sit down and talk with in person over a cup of coffee or glass of wine ... which is essentially how you have to approach this book - as a conversation with an interesting fellow who is telling a great story about his experiences in a small town in Italy.
5 people found this helpful
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cbright67
5.0 out of 5 stars The Entertaining and Eccentric Side of Italy
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2010
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I just finished this on my Kindle en route to Italy and it was a perfect way to prepare me for my visit. Mr. Farley's narrative always kept my interest while effortlessly sprinkling in genuinely educational vignettes about the history of Italy, Rome, religion, the Vatican and even New Age beliefs. He does a delightful job of bringing the citizens of Calcata to life in a way the allows you to feel as if you're walking down the twisty, cobbled streets of this ancient hill town. The best description I have is that "Irreverent Curiosity" captures the best qualities of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" with an even broader tapestry of characters and historical background. A great read!
One person found this helpful
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Stacy A. Moate
5.0 out of 5 stars Great, funny, and interesting book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2012
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I bought this book for my mom for Christmas and then borrowed it when she finished! I am huge fan of anything Italy and I really enjoyed the authors detail about life in a small Italian hill town. The whole concept of this book and the search for Jesus' foreskin was fun and made the book fun to read. There was a lots of history of the Catholic relegion and their holy relics in the story but the author did a great job of making it interesting, entertaining and easy to read. This was a great book and one I look forward to keeping in my collection.
One person found this helpful
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nadja crowfeather
3.0 out of 5 stars irreverent curiosity
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2013
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i am more fascinated by the idea behind the book than how it all actually came out. i like the whole idea, but his search for the relic really did not seem to pan out, or to come up with any sort of novel revelation, which i was hoping for. he went around in circles a bit actually. one thing i did like about it was the little town. everyone i told about the book, got all amazed and excited and laughed at the idea of it all, as did i.....but when i finally finished the book, i felt let down. sorry.
One person found this helpful
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Joyce H
4.0 out of 5 stars Totally irreverant
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2009
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If Jon Stewart were a Catholic from the 60's, pre-Vatican Council II, he could've written this book. Very funny, very irreverant, very historically accurate. This is the kind of stuff that good Catholics really believed in (relics) and venerated.
I was in a small Catholic church in a Catholic village
in the Dutch coutryside in 2001. It was the patron's saint feast day and the priest hauled out a reliquary with a bone from the saint's finger. We all went up, kissed it, put some money in the tray, lit a candle and went home. We were all Catholic school graduates from 1963 and we all knew the drill! Loved this book!
5 people found this helpful
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Roberto
3.0 out of 5 stars Alla ricerca del Santo Prepuzio, scomparso da Calcata...
Reviewed in Italy on January 11, 2018
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Racconto dell'esperienza dell'autore, con una permanenza - afferma l'autore - di ben un anno in Italia in particolare a Calcata, alla ricerca del Santo Prepuzio di Gesù bambino, resecatogli nella circoncisione, pervenuto in Vaticano in epoca medievale e da lì giunto a Calcata, come bottino di un lanzichenecco dopo il Sacco di Roma. Lungamente lì venerato anche dopo una proibizione papale del 1900 (che teneva conto del ridicolo dell'esistenza storica di almeno un'altra dozzina di Santi Prepuzi, tutti passati per le mani di Carlo Magno), la "reliquia" scomparve misteriosamente da Calcata nel 1983. O nel 1986 ? (Manca una denuncia alla polizia...) Rubata per il prezioso reliquiario? Rubata da sanatisti? Prelevata da emissari vaticani? Nascosta sempre a Calcata, come suggerito da Massimo Introvigne in un colloquio con l'autore, magari "in attesa di tempi migliori"? Mistero; voci contradditorie. Come misteriosa è l'epoca del viaggio, ma sembra tra il 2007 e il 2008.
Il "racconto" interseca e alterna brani di rapporti con abitanti del luogo e di "esperienze di vita" con pagine di notizie storiche sul Santo Prepuzio, ma anche sul "traffico" di reliquie non solo in epoca medievale ma anche prima, dai tempi di Elena madre di Costantino imperatore, dopo lo shopping da lei eseguito in Terrasanta proprio alla ricerca di reliquie. Le notizie storiche (seppur non di prima mano, ma come riportate da altri autori, citati alla fine del volume) sono la parte più interessante. Le "esperienze di vita" (a Calcata soprattutto, ma anche a Roma e Torino) sono talvolta sapientemente "colorite" (vedi certi personaggi "sopra le righe", certe esperienze culinarie, certi rapporti con polizia e carabinieri o ecclesiastici, la descrizione di certi ambienti) e forse puramente inventate o "profondamente rielaborate", altre volte noiose e inutili anche ai fini narrativi (vedi Halloween a Calcata), ma indubbiamente, nella loro non-verificabilità, apprezzate dai lettori statunitensi, tanto da alimentare la fanfara mediatica all'epoca dell'uscita e la fama dell'autore. Scritto in un inglese semplice e piano, si fa leggere senza difficoltà. E, come spesso accade, l'autore "rivela se stesso" oltre che "narrare di altri". Ma rimane una domanda: per una "ricerca del Santo Prepuzio di Calcata" era necessario passare un anno in Italia, ascoltando soprattutto fonti improbabili o sicuramente "chiuse"? Beh, certo, per scrivere un libro su un viaggio "strano", tutto fa brodo.
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Maria Fodor
5.0 out of 5 stars OK
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2017
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Interesting to read. Good mix between fun and facts and fiction.
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chris
5.0 out of 5 stars A great, quirky read!
Reviewed in Canada on July 11, 2016
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This is a great travel book investigating a rather peculiar relic. Worth checking out for anyone who loves history and its odd mysteries.
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Gaily
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on April 14, 2017
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Great product
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cru-jean (silen)
1.0 out of 5 stars Ein Prosit der Vorhaut
Reviewed in Germany on October 25, 2014
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Der Autor verbrachte zu viel Zeit in den gewiss anregenden Kneipen Calcatas & viel zu wenig in den Bibliotheken. Seine Zechkumpanen findet er selbst recht lustig,aber er kann nicht erzählen, warum ein Leser weit weg von Calcata das auch tun sollte. Was Farley über des HErrn Vorhaut zusammenträgt ist recht bescheiden & von Zufällen bestimmt.
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