Capuchin Crypt Rome

                                       

                                "What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be..."

For lovers of the macabre, a trip to Rome is not complete without visiting the Capuchin Crypt underneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.

Although the crypt's six rooms are tiny, it is estimated that they house 3,700 bodies of long deceased Capuchin Friars. It began in 1631 when the monks arrived at the site with 300 cartloads of expired friars which were then arranged into beautiful motifs overseen by Fr. Michael of Bergamo.

Over the years a newly lifeless monk would be buried in the grave of the oldest deceased monk who would be exhumed, and slowly the bones started amounting (though I believe not all the bones are of monks- some are of citizens including children). The soil the monks were buried in was brought over from Jerusalem.

There are six different rooms as follows: The Crypt of the Resurrection, The Mass Chapel (not containing any bones), The Crypt of the Skulls,  The Crypt of the Pelvises, The Crypt of the Leg and Thigh Bones and The Crypt of the Three Skeletons.

Crypt of the Skulls

Crypt of the Pelvises

Crypt of the Leg and Thigh Bones

Crypt of the Three Skeletons

 Inside these rooms you will find human bones that adorn the ceiling in beautifully intricate designs and patterns. The artistry is divine and the simplicity of the repeating body parts to create compositions and specific motifs like hour glasses, frames and arrangements that are almost botanic is really quite inspiring. 

Ceiling of the Crypt of the Three Skeletons

*Please note that being such a sacred place photography was strictly forbidden, so none of the above images are my own, but sourced from other sites.