Entrance to a dark crypt tome4/2/2023 Fundamentally, it is a place that appeals strongly to the morbid curiosity of the human imagination. For some, it may be a disquieting or even frightening experience. In such an evocative and atmospheric place, the visitor’s experience will no doubt be a personal one and many different emotions might come to the fore. While this overtly Catholic message is to be expected, this is a place that can surely be appreciated for its intrinsic artistic merit and historical interest by members of any faith or none.Īs befitting the mood of such a place, most visitors keep their voices hushed to a whisper, and photography is strictly forbidden. The Order emphasises that the ossuary should be understood as a space in which the visitor can reflect on their own mortality – and thus on the need to atone for their sins. The addition of new bones may have continued until the early nineteenth century, when the burial of human remains within the city walls was criminalised. By this point it had developed into something of a tourist attraction, a status it has retained ever since. The earliest written record of the ossuary comes from 1775, when it attracted the attention (and admiration) of a notorious French libertine, the Marquis de Sade. ![]() At what point – and why – somebody then decided to start transforming the collection into this artistic marvel is not known. When the Capuchins moved to this site in the 1630s they brought with them the bones of many of their dead that had previously been stored at a convent in the nearby Santa Croce e San Bonaventura alla Pilotta. Mystery shrouds the origins of the ossuary. To this end, the museum’s final rooms contain biographical overviews of prominent Order members and the humanitarian projects that they are engaged in. The Capuchins seek to remind the visitor that they are not merely a curio from Europe’s early modern period but a living fraternity with members scattered across the globe. Several paintings are also on display, most notably ‘St Francis in Meditation’, a work attributed to the ‘Old Master’ Caravaggio. The museum provides a potted history of the Capuchin community illustrated using a wide range of artefacts associated with the group, including vestments, manuscripts, and reliquaries. It has remained under the Order’s control ever since. Its construction was a clear sign of how far the Capuchins had come over the preceding century. Commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, it was designed by the architect Antonio Casoni and built between 16. Somewhat ironically for a group emphasising poverty and simple living, the Capuchin Order built this church using money and land donated by some of Rome’s wealthiest elite families. Since 2012, the crypt has been accompanied by a smart new museum devoted to the history of both the Capuchins and the church itself. The crypt is situated beneath the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini (‘Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins’), a 17th century church located along the city’s posh Via Venetto. This is best known for its amazing ossuary, a collection of thousands of human bones that have been used in the elaborate decoration of the walls and ceilings. One of the most unique and impressive heritage sites in the city is the Capuchin crypt, also sometimes called the ‘Bone Church of Rome’. ![]() While the likes of St Peter’s Basilica and the Pantheon may pull in the largest crowds, there are many smaller, lesser known Catholic sites that are just as deserving of a visit – and in some cases a lot more memorable! With such an amazing range of sites on offer, it can be difficult to decide how and where to spend your time and Euros. Visitors can scarcely turn around without coming upon a church, chapel, or cathedral. More than any other, Rome is a city dominated by its Catholic heritage.
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