A tricky puzzle under the Vatican tests your brain and sense of adventure in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
If the Sacred Wounds Puzzle has you stalled, this guide breaks it all down step by step so you can keep the adventure going.
How To Solve the Sacred Wounds Puzzle
You'll need a bottle of sacramental wine before you can access the Sacred Wounds Puzzle.
You receive this from Father Antonio once you collect and bring him four photographs of Strange Inscriptions scattered in the Vatican.
These inscriptions are from the Stolen Cat Mummy quest. Take pictures of them with your camera, then return them to Antonio’s library.
Drop the photos on his desk, then use the magnifying glass to focus on the golden images and translate the text.
After finishing this task, Antonio will hand over the wine, which helps with the puzzle.
Take the wine and walk over to Nicholas the Fifth’s Tower. The round building is located near the Vatican Post Office.
However, watch out for the guards at the entrance, as they can spot your disguise.
Walk in and check out the western room, where there’s an altar with a mural of St. George versus the dragon.
Snap a picture of the mural, then pour the wine into the basin under it.
Interact with the mural and rotate it until St. George appears above the dragon.
This will open the Underworld Gate and show a secret staircase going down.
It’s pitch black ahead, so light a torch or candle at the altar before you enter the Underworld.
Move down the worn-out stairs, lighting torches and braziers to light your way.
Keep going straight until you reach a big room with a mural of Jesus on the cross, aka the Sacred Wounds mural.
This mural is the main part of the puzzle, with five levers that stand for the crucifixion wounds.
To solve the puzzle, you need to track down five more murals placed throughout the chamber and surrounding rooms.
Each mural shows one of Jesus' wounds, and pouring wine into the basins in front will show Roman numerals.
These digits tell you where to place the levers on the central mural. Here’s where to find them:
Left Hand (Holy Chalice)
To the main mural's left is a smaller depiction of Jesus holding a chalice.
Move the bust blocking the basin, pour some wine in, and check the number that appears: "2."
Right Hand (Body of Christ)
Turn left into a gated room where you'll see a mural of Jesus holding bread. Fill the basin with wine to uncover the numeral “2.”
The gate behind you will shut, but you can head down a different path to the next mural.
Torso (Spear of Longinus)
The room next door has a statue of Longinus with the spear that pierced Jesus’ side. Pour wine into the basin to reveal the numeral “3.”
Use a candlestick or iron rod to break through the tattered wall and return to the main chamber.
Right Foot (Walking on Water)
On the right side of the main mural, you will find the mural of Jesus walking on water. Pour wine into the basin in front of it to reveal the numeral “3.”
Left Foot (Anointment of Jesus)
To reach the last mural, slip through a gap in the wall on the far right side of the room.
This mural depicts Mary anointing Jesus’ left foot. Fill the basin with wine to reveal the numeral “4.”
Use the nearby chain to unlock the gate and return to the main chamber.
Head back to the Sacred Wounds mural and tweak the levers based on the Roman numerals at each mural.
Looking at it from the viewer’s angle, the correct positions are:
- Left Hand: II
- Right Hand: II
- Torso: III
- Right Foot: III
- Left Foot: IV
Set each lever to its number to align with the correct wounds.
When the levers are set up correctly, the mural will spin, opening a secret passage behind it.
This route gets you further into the Underworld, where more surprises and hurdles appear.
The tomb of the warrior giant and a stack of Vatican relics are in there, too.
Did you encounter any tricky guards or challenges while solving the puzzle?