Incredible skeletal remains of Catholic saints still dripping in gems and jewellery discovered by 'Indiana Bones' explorer
- Art historian Paul Koudounaris hunted them down in secret Catholic vaults
- Said to be remains of Catholic martyrs dug up from Roman catacombs
- They were sent to churches to replace relics destroyed in Reformation
- Some took up to five years to decorate in gold, silver and gemstones
- But none were actually canonised, so many have been stripped of honours
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A relic hunter dubbed 'Indiana Bones' has lifted the lid on a macabre collection of 400-year-old jewel-encrusted skeletons unearthed in churches across Europe.
Art historian Paul Koudounaris hunted down and photographed dozens of gruesome skeletons in some of the world's most secretive religious establishments.
Incredibly, some of the skeletons, said to be the remains of early Christian martyrs, were even found hidden away in lock-ups and containers.
They are now the subject of a new book, which sheds light on the forgotten ornamented relics for the first time.
Thousands of skeletons were dug up from Roman catacombs in the 16th century and installed in towns around Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the orders of the Vatican.
They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses to replace the relics destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
Mistaken for the remains of early Christian martyrs, the morbid relics, known as the Catacomb Saints, became shrines reminding of the spiritual treasures of the afterlife.
They were also symbols of the Catholic Church's newly found strength in previously Protestant areas.
Each one was painstakingly decorated in thousands of pounds worth of gold, silver and gems by devoted followers before being displayed in church niches.
Some took up to five years to decorate.
They were renamed as saints, although none of them qualified for the title under the strict rules of the Catholic church which require saints to have been canonised.
But by the 19th century they had become morbid reminders of an embarrassing past and many were stripped of their honours and discarded.
Mr Koudounaris' new book, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, is the first time the skeletons have appeared in print.
Mr Koudounaris, from Los Angeles, said: 'I was working on another book looking into charnel houses when I came across the existence of these skeletons.
'As I discovered more about them I had this feeling that it was my duty to tell their fascinating story.
After they were found in the Roman catacombs the Vatican authorities would sign certificates identifying them as martyrs then they put the bones in boxes and sent them northwards.
'The skeletons would then be dressed and decorated in jewels, gold and silver, mostly by nuns.
'They had to be handled by those who had taken a sacred vow to the church - these were believed to be martyrs and they couldn't have just anyone handling them.
'They were symbols of the faith triamphant and were made saints in the municipalities.
'One of the reasons they were so important was not for their spiritual merit, which was pretty dubious, but for their social importance.
'They were thought to be miraculous and really solidified people's bond with a town. This reaffirmed the prestige of the town itself.'
He added: 'It's impossible to put a modern-day value on the skeletons.'
Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs is published by Thames and Hudson and costs 18.95 pounds.
Art historian Paul Koudounaris hunted down and photographed dozens of gruesome skeletons in some of the world's most secretive religious establishments.
Incredibly, some of the skeletons, said to be the remains of early Christian martyrs, were even found hidden away in lock-ups and containers.
St Valerius in Weyarn: Art historian Paul
Koudounaris hunted down and photographed dozens of gruesome skeletons in
some of the world's most secretive religious establishments
St Albertus and St Felix: Incredibly, some of
the skeletons, said to be the remains of early Christian martyrs, were
even found hidden away in lock-ups and containers
They are now the subject of a new book, which sheds light on the forgotten ornamented relics for the first time.
Thousands of skeletons were dug up from Roman catacombs in the 16th century and installed in towns around Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the orders of the Vatican.
They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses to replace the relics destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
St Benedictus: Thousands of skeletons were dug
up from Roman catacombs in the 16th century and installed in towns
around Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the orders of the Vatican
Spooky: St Deodatus in Rheinau, Switzerland
(left) and St Valentinus in Waldsassen (right). The skeletons were sent
to Catholic churches and religious houses to replace the relics
destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s
St Getreu in Ursberg, Germany: Mistaken for the
remains of early Christian martyrs, the morbid relics, known as the
Catacomb Saints, became shrines reminding of the spiritual treasures of
the afterlife
Mistaken for the remains of early Christian martyrs, the morbid relics, known as the Catacomb Saints, became shrines reminding of the spiritual treasures of the afterlife.
They were also symbols of the Catholic Church's newly found strength in previously Protestant areas.
Each one was painstakingly decorated in thousands of pounds worth of gold, silver and gems by devoted followers before being displayed in church niches.
Some took up to five years to decorate.
St Friedrich at the Benedictine abbey in Melk,
Austria: They were also symbols of the Catholic Church's newly found
strength in previously Protestant areas
Long dead: The hand of St Valentin in Bad
Schussenreid, Germany (left) and St Munditia, in the church of St Peter
in Munich (right). By the 19th century they had become morbid reminders
of an embarrassing past and many were stripped of their honours and
discarded
They were renamed as saints, although none of them qualified for the title under the strict rules of the Catholic church which require saints to have been canonised.
But by the 19th century they had become morbid reminders of an embarrassing past and many were stripped of their honours and discarded.
Mr Koudounaris' new book, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, is the first time the skeletons have appeared in print.
Mr Koudounaris, from Los Angeles, said: 'I was working on another book looking into charnel houses when I came across the existence of these skeletons.
'As I discovered more about them I had this feeling that it was my duty to tell their fascinating story.
Lounging louche: aSt Vincentus' ribs are exposed
beneath a web of golden leaves In Stams, Austria. Mr Koudounaris' new
book, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the
Catacombs, is the first time the skeletons have appeared in print
Adorned: St Luciana (right) arrived at the
convent in Heiligkreuztal, Germany and was prepared for display by the
nuns in Ennetach. The identity of the skull on the left is unknown
'After they were found in the Roman catacombs the Vatican authorities would sign certificates identifying them as martyrs then they put the bones in boxes and sent them northwards.
'The skeletons would then be dressed and decorated in jewels, gold and silver, mostly by nuns.
'They had to be handled by those who had taken a sacred vow to the church - these were believed to be martyrs and they couldn't have just anyone handling them.
'They were symbols of the faith triamphant and were made saints in the municipalities.
'One of the reasons they were so important was not for their spiritual merit, which was pretty dubious, but for their social importance.
'They were thought to be miraculous and really solidified people's bond with a town. This reaffirmed the prestige of the town itself.'
He added: 'It's impossible to put a modern-day value on the skeletons.'
Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs is published by Thames and Hudson and costs 18.95 pounds.
Lifting the lid on amazing jewel-encrusted 'martyr' skeletons
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/photos/catacombs-saints-400-year-old-skeletons-decorated-in-jewels-unearthed-slideshow/
A relic hunter dubbed 'Indiana Bones' has lifted the lid on a macabre collection of jewel-encrusted skeletons unearthed in churches across Europe. Art historian Paul Koudounaris has hunted down and photographed dozens of gruesome skeletons in some of the world's most secretive religious establishments. Incredibly, some of the skeletons, which took up to five years to decorate, were even found hidden away in lock-ups and containers. They are now the subject of his latest book, which sheds light on the forgotten ornamented relics for the first time. Thousands of skeletons were dug up from Roman catacombs in the 16th century and installed in towns around Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the orders of the Vatican. They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses to replace the relics destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. Mistaken for the remains of early Christian martyrs, the morbid relics, known as the Catacomb Saints, became shrines reminding of the spiritual treasures of the afterlife. They were also symbols of the Catholic Church's newly found strength in previously Protestant areas. Each one was painstakingly decorated in thousands of pounds worth of gold, silver and gems by devoted followers before being displayed in church niches. Some took up to five years to decorate.
Here is a list with links to examples of the worst religious practices of the Vatican:
- Headless Mary Magdalene hailed in Catholic Church in France
- Pope calls Catholics to venerate 1600 year old skull
- 4.000 skeletons in crypt in Roman Catholic Church in Rome
- The Vatican full of dead Popes kept for display
- Two Churches and a Mosque claim to have head of John the Baptist
- Pope: Escape Purgatory by prayer in front of corpse of Bosco
- Catholic chapel with rotten man and child hanging from chains
- Holy Catholic skulls watch over Madonna and child
- Pope pray in front of skeleton dressed up as a nun
- Thief demanded ransom for stolen skull of Pope.
- Roman Catholic chapel in Poland with 24.000 skulls and skeletons
- Saint from Malta kept both mummified and in wax
- The Vatican is the biggest collector of bones and skulls
- Catholic saint got blue eyes and dental treatment 1300 years after death
