In an Italian church, a five hundred year old crocodile is suspended from the ceiling

In the Italian region of Lombardy is the Santuario della Beata Vergine Maria delle Grazie, an ancient church known for the real dressed crocodile stored on the ceiling. What's the last thing you can expect to see when looking up in a church? Of course, there are plenty of interesting options, but the crocodile is definitely among the strangest of them all.

However, if you visit the small commune of Curtatone, in Lombardy, Italy, you will find a church with a five century old crocodile hanging from the ceiling. It's quite an unusual sight to say the least, but it's been around for as long as humans can remember.

How the crocodile Santuario della Beata Vergine Maria delle Grazie got here is a question that will probably remain a mystery, but its presence was linked to religious symbolism. In ancient times, Christianity considered reptilian creatures such as snakes, dragons and crocodiles to be evil, either incarnations of the devil or simply animals leading people to sin. Thus, its placement at a height in the vault of the church served as a warning to churchgoers as well as a symbol of the triumph of good over evil.

Although it may seem like decoration at first, it is a real embalmed Nile crocodile (Crocodilus niloticus) that is believed to be at least 500 years old, with the church itself dating back to the 13th century. Many legends have circulated over the years about the animal's origins in Lombardy, but two of the most popular ones have to do with a local menagerie and two brave brothers who fought the animal.

Believe the stories or not, the hanging crocodile of the Santuario della Beata Vergine Maria delle Grazie is a worthy attraction. It's odd, but at the same time it's a testament to the skill of the monks whose job it was to turn the crocodile into a permanent display.

It is interesting to note that this is not the only Italian church with a real crocodile on display. The Church of Santa Maria delle Vergini in Macerata and the Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrima in Ponte Nossa also have their own dressed crocodiles.