The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-03
A RARE SIGHT.
The Church of the Capuchins at Rome and
Its Strange Cemetery.

The Church of the Capuchins at Rome and
Its Strange Cemetery.
Some things are done in Rome in a
way that would seem strange enough
| to the good people of other countries.
| Let me give you an instance. At the
end of che Wis Capuccini stands the
| little old church of the Capuchin monks,
a church of plain exterior, but rich
within with marbles and paintings.
| Here is the celebrated St. Michael by
Guido, figure known in every Chris
tan land by the aid of engraving and
photography. But it is not of st.
Michael that wish to tell you; it is of
the good brethren of the Capuchin
order, that now are with the saints, we
trust. Under this church is their
burial place, and their place of resur-
rection, too-a temporary resurrection
| before the final one. To see that this
is properly done is the duty of the liv-
ing members, not merely their burying
but their rising again, to be clad in
their monkish garb and placed in the
niche to which they are entitled ac-
cording to date and regularly estab-
lished order.
When in the church go to the left
hand corner near the great altar and
by high railing that shuts you from
the dimly-lighted side chapels, you will
see bell-rope, pull it. Not always the
safe thing to do, but here entirely so.
Soon will appear behind the railing
snuff-colored old gentleman-little
black cap like bowl, fitting tightly to
the back of his head, feet in sandals, all
the rest of him enshrouded in dingy
brown-ask to see the cemetery of the
brethren and he will bid you meet him
al side basement door outside of the
church; here, after waiting q few
minutes, you will hear the key rafting
in a lock venerable with the dust of
ages; the door opens, the monk steps
aside and you pass in and down little
narrow stairway into long corridor,
from which opens series of rooms
These rooms are small burial plats.
The floor is soft brown earth and
smooth as floor; with rows of cypress
twigs planted at the head of the many
graves. All the furniture and adorn-
ments of these rooms are made of
human bones-bones of departed
Capuchins. The candelabrum hanging
in each room is from head, finger
|
visited an arsenal will remember how
sabers, bayonets, pistols and the various
implements of destruction are woven
into decorative wall designs, rosettes,
stars and the like. Let him but imag-
inc human bones so used and he may
call up picture of the CHASTITY mural
decorations of this strange place, where
scarce a space on either wall or ceiling
is not embossed with some tasteful de-
sign constructed from the three hun
dred and odd bones that go to the max
ing of our anatomy. Anyone who
doubts the picturesque and decorative
qualities latent in human skeleton
should visit the cemetery of the Capu-
chns.
Every alcove or niche, and there are
many, IS occupied by the skeleton of
long-since departed Capuchin, dressed
in the garb of the order, their cowls
falling forward over the grim skull.
The effect is heightened by scraps of
hair and beard still clngng to the
skull and Jaws. The order of promo
ton, or rotation, is as follows: Should
one of the brethren die, the ground
being full, then the one who has been
the longest time in the ground is taken
up and dressed, and the brother who is
the oldest occupant of niche has to
give way for the new conner, who takes
his place in the niche, the old one
being dismantled and his bones dis
tributed among the thousands that 90
to the wall building and decoration of
the place. He has had his day. and
has thus suddenly been merged in the
general whole.
Many of the skeleton statues hold be-
tween their bony fingers . card on
which is written name and date. Some,
if they state the truth, have been SO
held for more than Il century.
These rooms, while not altogether
cheerful, yet are so grotesque and so
decorative in their furniture and up
holstery that the impression made is by
no means so awesOme as one would
suppose; and, strange TO say, there is
no charnel-house odor about them.
This is explained by the fact that the
ground in which the monks lie buried
is holy earth brought from Jerusalem.
and that it absorbs all the impurities
that might otherwise prove offensive.
If this be really so there are other parts
of Rome that should be sprinkled with
little of it.
AS you pass from these dimly-lighted
chambers of death to the light of day,
a small coin, dropped in the hand of
the good brother ut the door will not
be taken amiss, nor are you likely ever
to regret either the time or money
given for 50 rare an eXperience.-Rome
Cor. Detroit Free Press.
|