Researchers share finds from Teresa of Avila’s remains

The research into the remains of St. Teresa of Avila, which got underway last August 24 in Alba de Tormes, Spain, is revealing incredible details about the life and legacy of the great Carmelite saint and Doctor of the Church.

The news that her body had not changed in the last 400 years, and still appears the same since the last time her tomb was opened, was already stunning.

Italian professor Luigi Capasso is leading the research team. According to the scientist, as reported in Alba de Tormes al Dia, the story that the remains have revealed is "an absolutely extraordinary story."

The 53-page report considers, among many other things, the state of the remains. Her body, left arm and heart are in Alba de Tormes; her right hand is in Malaga, Spain; and her right foot is in Rome. They are all "perfectly preserved," the team found, "with the skin intact, the subcutaneous tissue and muscles in their place, and without any sign of decay," Capasso said.

Her scalp still has locks of brown hair, and the dark iris of her right eye is visible. Her foot shows the traces of the leather straps of her Carmelite sandals, and her forehead shows the lines of her wimple.

"The preservation, more than 400 years after her death, conveys a serenity that reflects how she faced her departure,” the scientist said.

The conservation of her remains is not due to any artificial mummification process, the studies found. Only her heart has inorganic deposits, possibly linked to products used in the extraction of the organ after her death. But the other relics are preserved without human intervention.

The environment where the saint's relics have lied for all these centuries is key to the preservation. The lack of humidity and contaminants have kept the tissue stabilized. "It's a truly unique natural phenomenon," said Capasso.

At the same time, the research has revealed the chronic ailments that St. Teresa had to endure every day. The severe curvature of her spine made it difficult to breathe and get enough air, or even to lie down comfortably with her head on a pillow.

She had severe arthritis especially in her left knee, making it difficult to kneel, and spurs on her feet that would have caused a limp. She also had lost almost all of her teeth, something that must have affected her daily life. Her right arm shows the wear and tear that comes from the habit of writing prolifically. 

These revelations, as the prior of the Carmelites in Alba de Tormes and Salamanca, Fr. Miguel Ángel González, reflected, help us to be enriched "with the example of her life."