The superior of the Redemptorist convent in Lauterach in Vorarlberg has discovered a pope's shoe in the attic.
The red shoe and a cap belonged to Pope Pius IX, as she told the Vorarlberger Nachrichten on Friday.
The find was wrapped in fine paper and dates back to the 19th century.
"I was speechless. How these things got here remains a mystery," said the superior of the small community in Austria.
Pope Pius IX reigned from 1846 to 1878 in the longest pontificate in church history to date.
Significant events such as the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the First Vatican Council took place during his term of office.
The fact that relics of his life have turned up in a monastery in Vorarlberg is not only historically remarkable, but also a surprise for the sisters.
It is conceivable that the items were brought by missionaries, they say.
The find is currently being honoured as part of the 120th anniversary of the convent, which was occupied by 17 Redemptorist nuns in 1904.
The Pope's shoe is on display in a small museum on the upper floor of the building together with other discoveries made in the attic.
Visitors can also visit other areas of the convent, such as the wafer bakery, which produces millions of wafers every year.