In 1953, church staff in Bari, Italy, opened the tomb of St. Nicholas to begin the process of mitigating water damage to the crypt over nearly a millennium. When the restoration was completed, in 1957, an Italian professor of anatomy named Luigi Martino was the first modern researcher – and the only researcher known to date – to perform a complete osteological analysis of the saint’s bones. His anatomical discoveries reveal a different picture of what “Santa Claus” looked like than what is usually seen in popular culture.
He made a conclusion about the saint’s illness.
The damaged joints, spine and sternum bear witness to the torments Saint Nicholas suffered in prison – he was tortured by stretching, like many other Christians during the persecution. Radiological examination of the skull revealed a large internal compression of the bones of the skull. Professor Martino believes that these changes are caused by long-term effects of imprisonment, cold and dampness.
Later that year in the journal Bolletino di San Nicola, Martino presented his findings from X-rays and bone measurements.
They represented the remains of a man who was over 70 years old at the time of his death. He was of average height for that time, only 167 centimeters, slim to average build. The short, broad face of St. Nicholas had broad cheekbones, a broad forehead, and a slightly protruding chin. The medium-width nose showed signs of a healed fracture. As is common with people of advanced age, Saint Nicholas had many decayed teeth, as well as chronic arthritis of the spine and pelvis.
As a result of the study of the remains, Professor Luigi Martino determined that the face shown on the icon fully corresponds to the appearance of the reconstructed face of the relics in Bari: “According to the structure of the skull and skeleton, the saint was of medium height and dark skin, high forehead, had protruding cheekbones and a chin , a skeleton of medium strength.”
Anthropological studies of the remains indicate that he did not eat meat, but only plant food. The height of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker is also determined: 167 centimeters.
Using modern computer technologies, a Russian artist tried to depict the face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.