When the coffin was opened after thirty years, everyone expected to find what time normally leaves behind.

Something that still feeds today one of the most discussed cases of religious history.

Bernadette Soubirous, the young man to whom the Catholic tradition attributes the apparitions of Lourdes, died on 16 April 1879 in the convent of Saint-Gildard, in Nevers.

He had lived an existence marked by illness.

The asthma accompanied her for years, her physicist was fragile and suffering almost never gave her a break.

For this reason no one imagined that his body could arouse so much attention decades after the burial.

In 1909, during the beatification process, the tomb was opened in the presence of doctors, civil authorities and representatives of the Church.

The minutes of the time described an unexpected fact.

While finding clothes deteriorated by moisture, the body did not present the normal decomposition signs that would be expected after thirty years.

The news aroused great interest.

Ten years later, in 1919, a second re-exhumation was performed.

Also on that occasion the doctors in charge observed that, despite being present the natural changes of the skin, the body retained an unusual integrity.

In 1925, during a third reconnaissance, the conclusions remained essentially the same.

Subsequently, to allow exposure to the faithful and protect the most delicate fabrics, on the face and on the hands a thin wax coating was applied, what still see visitors today.

Currently Bernadette rests in a crystal reliquary inside the convent chapel of Saint-Gildard.

Every year thousands of people stop in front of that relic to observe the face of the young man who, according to the Catholic faith, played a central role in the history of Lourdes.

On his case, different interpretations continue to be compared.

For many believers, that preservation is a spiritual sign.

Others recall possible explanations related to the burial environment, the characteristics of the coffin and other natural factors that can slow down the decomposition.

At a distance of more than a century, the debate remains open.

Perhaps this is the reason why Bernadette's history continues to fascinate people with very different beliefs.

For some it is an extraordinary event linked to the faith.

For others it is still an interesting case to study.

In any case, the name of that young French girl continues to be remembered far beyond the time that normally erases almost every track.