Capuchin Church Cemetery, Rome, Italy C. 1870 Vintage Albumen Print Photograph
Vintage albumen print circa 1870
Capuchin Crypt of Santa Maria della Concezione.
The Capuchin Crypt, located beneath the Santa Maria della Concezione church in Rome, is one of the most unusual and fascinating places in Rome. Built between 1626 and 1631 on the orders of Pope Urban VIII, this crypt houses the bones of some 4,000 Capuchin monks. The walls of the five underground chapels are artistically decorated with skulls, femurs and other bones, forming intricate patterns and symbolic scenes in Baroque style.
The monks' aim was to remind us of the transience of life and the equality of all in the face of death. A famous inscription sums up this philosophy: "What you are, we were; what we are, you will be."
"I have never seen anything more striking." Marquis de Sade, Voyage en Italie, 1775
Image size 19 x 25.5 cm
Under mat 40 x50 cm
Period: 19th century
Style: Other Style
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Paper
Reference (ID): 1742933
Availability: In stock
