Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-17
HUMAN BONES USED
TO ADORN Church
Remains of 1000 Monks
Nailed to the Walls of Roman
House of Worship.
VISIT TO THE CATAC0MBS
NOT A NARROWING ORDEAL
Evidence Lacking That Early Chris
tians Even Found Refuge There
in Large Numbers.
stan Correspondence of The Star.

STAFF Correspondence of The Star
ROME May 2-It is customary for
tourists in Rome TO go TO the Church or
santa Maria della Concezione, or. as
il is more Familiarity known, the Church
of the Capuchins, not to see the beau
tiful painting of St Michael by Guido
REM, which is its chief artistic treas
ure but TO be shocked by the sight
of the remarkable arrangement or
human bones in the vaults.
We took advantage of the enforced
ldleness of Labor day, when long-range
sightseeing was impossible for lack of
transportation, to so around the corner
10 this church and make the usual ex-
pertinent. For it is said to be a severe
test of the nerves to look upon the
fantastic stuccos and decorations to
which four thousand departed monks
have contributed materials.
Our test was entirely successful, for
We found the bones interesting, and
even amusing rather than CHASTITY. In
the first place, these crypt or vault
rooms are brightly lighted, being on
ground level, inasmuch as the church
itself is built very high. and is APP
preached by long flight of steps. the
sun comes through large windows and
illumines the chambers, so that there
IS nothing sepulchral in the scene, and
there is perfect ventilation, with no
odor whatever.
Art Work in Bones
Considerable artistic skill has been
shown in the management of the bones.
Each of the half-dozen vaults has it's
own distinctive design, and, disregard
ing the source of the materials, the eff
feet. especially on the ceilings, is ex-
rellent. The presence of many skulls.
peering out from masses of thigh bones
and shin bones and arm bones, is at
first bit creepy" but this soon be-
comes commonplace, and even some
what ludicrous.
In the first chamber are the complete
skeletons of children of the Barberini
family. three disposed of in graceful
reclining attitudes over the central
wall decoration, and fourth fastened
Hat to the ceiling, looking downward
IN the guise of the angel of death bear
ing scythe and a pair of scales all
made OF human bones. In the other
chambers the space between the pro-
tectfnS rails and the walls are filled
with brownish earth, said to have been
brought long. long ago from Jerusalem
the sacred soif' in which the men,
beers OF the order We're inferred in
preparation Tor the artistry that grad
Ially gave these sepultures their world
vide fame as chambers of horrors"
No Longer Burial Place.
ones chief anxiety in passing through
t'"se vaults Is that the identical soil now
IN evidence is not that which has served
AS solvent for human tissues once en-
wrapped about the bones of the 900
monks. II probably is not No more In
terments are made here now, the monks
hndtng an undisturbed rest in another
place. where decorative. Tendencies do no.
prevail
In each room are two or more mum
mined hgures. dressed in their brown
gowns. with cows drawn over the heads
ana somewhat Softening the gruesorneDess
Of the spectacle. Thes. mumrnies are
identified with labels but no ATTEMPT is
made to identify the bones 1t would.
indeed be an impossible undertaking to
trace the several parts of any individual
brother among the scrolls and traceries
the pillars and arches that abound in
these fantastic vaults
But visitors TO the chambers have
shown To such modeSty in many cases
t'n every side are scribhled names and
dates. on the walls and even on the bones
within reach. Wherever "A skull is con
yentently placed. az at a corner IL has
been used repeatedly Ms a tablet one
Fandal Scriwling his name. another eras-
ing and substituting his own, until the
faput has acquired brown polish.
Many Bones Carried Away.
Vandalism does not stop with the writ
ing of names Most of the partition walls
between the chambers. through which
the connecting passage runs, have beer
almost completely stripped Of bones. They
were originally fastened with nails and
wires. and IL IS not difficult. apparently
TO wrench n vertebrate a knuckle joint
or small rib from the design, and
doubtless, today. scattered throughout the
world. many hundred brown bones
shown eleefully by their possessors as
souvenirs OF the Capuchin catacombs
~ Rome
The art work of the early bone work