The reputed head of St John the Baptist at Amiens

Today is the feast of the Decollation of St John the Baptist. 

My previous posts for this feast can be seen at A German Reliquary of St John the Baptist from 2020, and which looks at a tooth relic of St John in a medieval reliquary from the Guelph Treasure. The Beheading of St John the Baptist from 2023 looks at the possible site of his martyrdom and some late medieval images of his death.  The Decollation of St John the Baptist from last year, which looks at two earlier seventeenth century paintings of the beheading by Matthias Stom from Malta.

A while ago I came upon a video which sets out the story, and the historical context, of how the reputed head of the saint travelled from the sack of Constantinople in 1204 and came to Amiens, and how this led the Bishop to rebuild the cathedral.

The video, which includes some fine images of the actual relic but also of the cathedral, can be seen at Does Amiens Cathedral REALLY have the Head of John the Baptist?

May St John the Baptist pray for us