In Italy, Gisella Cardia, known as the “visionary of Trevignano”, is being charged with fraud. Her husband, Gianni Cardia, has been charged with accessory to fraud.
The two are accused to have staged apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Gisella Cardia allegedly predicted future catastrophes and disasters such as earthquakes, to encourage believers to donate money to the veneration of the Madonna of Trevignano.
The statue of the Madonna in question, located on the shores of Lake Bracciano about fifty kilometres from Rome, has been in the news for years as it supposedly cried blood. Cardia claimed to have received messages from both God and Satan.
Hundreds of believers flocked every month to witness the “miracle,” although the Catholic Church distanced itself from the event. The couple offered pilgrims pizza and gnocchi, which were said to have miraculously multiplied!
A judicial investigation earlier this year revealed that the DNA of the blood on the statue matched that of the visionary herself, Gisella Cardia. Her lawyer argued at the time that the accused’s blood could have been mixed with that of the statue and further that no one can know the composition of the DNA of the Virgin Mary.
The court is particularly concerned that Cardia and her husband collected a total of 365,000 euros in donations. The couple has claimed this money would go to a children’s hospital, but it seems it was instead spent on renovating the shrine and purchasing an expensive car. The trial will begin in April 2026 in the town of Civitavecchia.