A small plaster statue of the Virgin Mary, about 40 cm tall, modelled on the Virgin of Medjugorje, was brought from Medjugorje by the Italian Fabio Gregori family of Civitavecchia in September 1994. It was placed in the family's garden. On February 2, 1995, Gregori's young daughter Jessica reported seeing blood on the face of the statue.
Over the next 47 days, until March 15, the statue wept blood on 14 separate occasions, witnessed by hundreds — including the Bishop of Civitavecchia, Mgr. Girolamo Grillo, who personally witnessed the statue weeping in his own hands and arms while he was holding it during the canonical inquiry. Forensic analysis at the University of Cagliari (Prof. Vincenzo Marastoni) identified the blood as masculine and of human origin; samples were never matched to any human donor. After a long investigation the diocesan bishop formally recognised the supernatural character of the events in 2005, with confirmation from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The statue is now in the parish church of Sant'Agostino in Civitavecchia.