Dentro Le Catacombe
To set the mood, let me introduce you to one of my favorite short stories:
Our ever-enthusiastic English teacher organized a trip for a select few of us to see "the dark side of Rome"...as in the infamous catacombe or catacombs.
Many think that catacombs were secret places to leave dead bodies or that there was no organization so you don't know what body is whose, or even that it was just where people left plague-infested corpses to rest. However, this is not the case. The truth is they were the way to go (haha, get it?) for Christians back when Christianity was not accepted fully by the state. Thus, Christians bought spaces under churches to sleep in peace for eternity. Rich families had their own small quarters and poor people had what looked like dug out bunks in the wall. When we went to visit the catacombs underneath La Chiesa di Santa Agnese, we learned about her life (check it out!) and experienced 1st-hand why Edgar Allen Poe chose to write his famous short story taking place in a catacomb in Italy...
Later that afternoon, we headed across town to check out one of the coolest crypts in existence- Santa Maria della Concezione. I was in awe. This is the museum and sacred place of monks from the Capuchin Order. The art made from the human bones that line the walls was made by their brothers in order to celebrate their passing into heaven. I never knew how creative monks were until I saw this crypt!
It was a great day exploring (insert dramatic music here) the dark side of Rome.
Our ever-enthusiastic English teacher organized a trip for a select few of us to see "the dark side of Rome"...as in the infamous catacombe or catacombs.
Many think that catacombs were secret places to leave dead bodies or that there was no organization so you don't know what body is whose, or even that it was just where people left plague-infested corpses to rest. However, this is not the case. The truth is they were the way to go (haha, get it?) for Christians back when Christianity was not accepted fully by the state. Thus, Christians bought spaces under churches to sleep in peace for eternity. Rich families had their own small quarters and poor people had what looked like dug out bunks in the wall. When we went to visit the catacombs underneath La Chiesa di Santa Agnese, we learned about her life (check it out!) and experienced 1st-hand why Edgar Allen Poe chose to write his famous short story taking place in a catacomb in Italy...
Later that afternoon, we headed across town to check out one of the coolest crypts in existence- Santa Maria della Concezione. I was in awe. This is the museum and sacred place of monks from the Capuchin Order. The art made from the human bones that line the walls was made by their brothers in order to celebrate their passing into heaven. I never knew how creative monks were until I saw this crypt!
It was a great day exploring (insert dramatic music here) the dark side of Rome.
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