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Catacomb saints were the bodies of ancient Christians that were carefully exhumed from the catacombs of Rome and sent abroad to serve as relics of certain saints from the 16th century to the 19th century.^[1] They were typically lavishly decorated with gold and precious stones.^[2]

History

During the Beeldenstorm of the 16th century and continued iconoclasm of the 17th century, Catholic churches throughout Europe were systematically stripped of their religious symbols, iconography and relics. In response, the Vatican ordered that thousands of skeletons be exhumed from the catacombs beneath the city and installed in towns throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Few, if any, of the corpses belonged to people of any religious significance though, given their burial, some may have been early Christian martyrs.^[3] Each was nonetheless painstakingly dressed and decorated as one of the various Catholic saints. One church spent 75 gulden dressing their saint.^[3]

Though selling the relics would have been considered simony, enterprising church officials still managed to raise funds while countering the iconoclasm by charging for transportation, decoration, induction and blessing.^[2] Historian and author Diarmaid MacCulloch compared the collection of catacomb saints by rich Bavarian families as being akin to the modern-day practice of purchasing personalised number plates, given that many of the saints shared the name of their patron.^[4] Church officials became adept at uncovering saints related to particular wealthy families.

By the 19th century, many of the fakes had been discovered. Some were stripped of their finery and destroyed while others were placed in storage.^{[citation needed]}

Modern interest

In 1803, the secular magistrate of Rottenbuch in Bavaria auctioned the town's two saints. 174 years later, in 1977, the residents of the town raised funds to have them returned.^[2]

Paul Koudounaris revived interest in the catacomb saints with his 2013 book Heavenly Bodies. In publishing the book, Koudounaris sought to find and photograph each of the extant saints.^[2]

Gallery

A reliquary in St. Peter's Church, Munich.
The decorated skull of Saint Dominicus.
The armed corpse of Saint Verena.
A glass case protects the corpse of the martyr Candidus at the Irsee Abbey, Bavaria.
The sarcophagus of Saint Clemens at the Parish church of St. Gallus and Ulrich, Kißlegg, Germany.

References

^ Johnson, T. (2009). "Holy Fabrications: The Catacomb Saints and the Counter-Reformation in Bavaria". The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. 47 (2): 274–297. doi:10.1017/S0022046900080015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Christopher Howse (22 August 2013). "The ghastly glory of Europe's jewel-encrusted relics". The Telegraph.
^ ^a ^b Johnson, Trevor (2009). Magistrates, Madonnas and Miracles: The Counter Reformation in the Upper Palatinate. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 9780754664802.
^ Macculloch, Diarmaid (2004). Reformation: Europe's House Divided 1490-1700. Penguin UK. ISBN 9780141926605.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Type of Christian relic}}
-{{orphan|date=September 2013}}
+[[File:Katakombenheiliger pankratius.jpg|thumb|A relic from the [[Catacombs of Rome#Catacombs of San Pancrazio|Holy Catacombs of Pancratius]]. Image taken at an exhibition at the Historical Museum St. Gallen in [[Wil, Switzerland]]]]
+'''Catacomb saints''' were the bodies of ancient Christians that were carefully exhumed from the [[catacombs of Rome]] and sent abroad to serve as [[relic]]s of certain [[saint]]s from the 16th century to the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Johnson | first1 = T. | title = Holy Fabrications: The Catacomb Saints and the Counter-Reformation in Bavaria | doi = 10.1017/S0022046900080015 | journal = The Journal of Ecclesiastical History | volume = 47 | issue = 2 | pages = 274–297 | year = 2009 }}</ref> They were typically lavishly decorated with [[gold]] and [[precious stones]].<ref name=howse>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10256894/The-ghastly-glory-of-Europes-jewel-encrusted-relics.html|title= The ghastly glory of Europe's jewel-encrusted relics|author= Christopher Howse|work=The Telegraph|date=22 August 2013}}</ref>
+== History ==
-[[Image:Katakombenheiliger pankratius.jpg|thumb|A relic from the [[Holy Catacombs of Pancratius]]. Image taken at an exhibition at the [[Historical Museum St. Gallen]] in [[Wil, Switzerland]]]]
-'''Catacomb saints''' are ancient Roman corpses that were taken from the [[catacombs of Rome]], given fictitious names and sold abroad as [[relic]]s of [[saint]]s from the 16th century to the 19th century.<ref>{{cite doi|10.1017/S0022046900012872}}</ref> They are typically lavishly decorated with gold and precious stones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10256894/The-ghastly-glory-of-Europes-jewel-encrusted-relics.html|title= The ghastly glory of Europe’s jewel-encrusted relics|author= Christopher Howse|publisher=The Telegraph|date=22 Aug 2013}}</ref>
+During the ''[[Beeldenstorm]]'' of the 16th century and continued [[iconoclasm]] of the 17th century, [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic churches]] throughout Europe were systematically stripped of their religious symbols, iconography and relics. In response, the [[Holy See|Vatican]] ordered that thousands of skeletons be exhumed from the catacombs beneath the city and installed in towns throughout [[Germany]], [[Austria]] and [[Switzerland]]. Few, if any, of the corpses belonged to people of any religious significance though, given their burial, some may have been [[early Christianity|early Christian]] [[martyr]]s.<ref name=johnson>{{cite book|last=Johnson|first=Trevor|title=Magistrates, Madonnas and Miracles: The Counter Reformation in the Upper Palatinate|year=2009|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|isbn=9780754664802|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zmMrXrDo71sC}}</ref> Each was nonetheless painstakingly dressed and decorated as one of the various Catholic saints. One church spent 75 [[Guilder|gulden]] dressing their saint.<ref name=johnson/>
+Though selling the relics would have been considered [[simony]], enterprising church officials still managed to raise funds while countering the iconoclasm by charging for transportation, decoration, induction and blessing.<ref name=howse/> Historian and author [[Diarmaid MacCulloch]] compared the collection of catacomb saints by rich Bavarian families as being akin to the modern-day practice of purchasing [[personalised number plate]]s, given that many of the saints shared the name of their patron.<ref>{{cite book|last=Macculloch|first=Diarmaid|title=Reformation: Europe's House Divided 1490-1700|year=2004|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=9780141926605|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KZ5D2WOqidoC}}</ref> Church officials became adept at uncovering saints related to particular wealthy families.
+By the 19th century, many of the fakes had been discovered. Some were stripped of their finery and destroyed while others were placed in storage.{{cn|date=November 2020}}
+== Modern interest ==
+In 1803, the secular [[magistrate]] of [[Rottenbuch]] in [[Bavaria]] auctioned the town's two saints. 174 years later, in 1977, the residents of the town [[fund-raising|raised funds]] to have them returned.<ref name=howse/>
+[[Paul Koudounaris]] revived interest in the catacomb saints with his 2013 book ''Heavenly Bodies''. In publishing the book, Koudounaris sought to find and photograph each of the extant saints.<ref name=howse/>
+== Gallery ==
+<gallery perrow="5">
+File:2347 - München - St Peterskirche.JPG|A [[reliquary]] in [[St. Peter's Church (Munich)|St. Peter's Church]], [[Munich]].
+File:Reliquie Katakombenheiliger St Dominicus MfK Wgt.jpg|The decorated skull of Saint Dominicus.
+File:St.Verena Almachus2.JPG|The armed corpse of Saint Verena.
+File:Abbey Irsee 116.JPG|A glass case protects the corpse of the martyr Candidus at the [[Irsee Abbey]], Bavaria.
+File:Kisslegg Pfarrkirche Sarkophag St Clemens.jpg|The sarcophagus of [[Clement of Rome|Saint Clemens]] at the [[Parish church of St. Gallus and Ulrich, Kißlegg|Parish church of St. Gallus and Ulrich]], [[Kißlegg]], Germany.
+</gallery>
 == References ==
 {{reflist}}
+== Further reading ==
-{{commonscat|Catacomb saints}}
+* {{cite book | isbn = 9780500251959 | title = Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures & Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs | last = Koudounaris | first = Paul |authorlink = Paul Koudounaris | year = 2013 | publisher = [[Thames & Hudson]] | location = London  }}
+{{commons category|Catacomb saints}}
 [[Category:Christian relics]]
 [[Category:Forgery]]
 [[Category:Jewellery]]
+[[Category:Protestant Reformation]]
+[[Category:Skeletons]]
-{{christianity-stub}}
-{{history-stub}}