Capuchin Crypt

Giornale Quattro

I was recommended to go to the Capuchine crypt by two people. One being Steven and the other Jovany, who was a Rome kid four years ago. All I knew about this place was that there were bone exhibits. I didn’t do any research on it because I wanted to be surprised.  Getting to the crypt was fairly simple. I took the train to Barbarini and walked two minutes. I walked in and as I paid the cashier informed me that I could not take any pictures or I would be removed. I usually take those things lightly because no one has enforced those rules during my time in Rome so far. Before getting into the museum I walked into a room filled with bibles of different editions. It was cool to see the really old ones from a few centuries ago. I took out my phone to write notes and a women called upon me and told me to put my phone away. I wasn’t even allowed to take notes. I knew this was going to be my hardest solo excursion yet. My fingers get itchy when I see something really cool and I want to capture it. My memory also sucks so I immediately regretted not bringing my notebook. I handed in my ticket and walked into the museum. I was presented with pictures of different capuchin priest and their background information. I do not remember learning much about the capuchin people so I found myself reading all of the information available to me. They were Christians who devoted their life to helping those who are less fortunate. They lived a poor life and went to the places others would not dare enter to help and spread the word of god. They could be found in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, and dangerous spaces others are too afraid of entering. It was interesting learning about those who started off their lives rich and were introduced to the capuchin life and gave everything away to become a priest to help others. The museum also held different tools used by the capuchin priest. These included pottery used for medical purposes, everyday utensils, and they even had a collection of some of the watches priests own, which was pretty cool.

The art in the museum was not any that I was use to. There were some paintings of the capuchin priest themselves and one painting by Caravaggio that were very beautiful, but what captured my eye the most was the representation of Jesus. Usually sculptures and paintings of Jesus are smooth and made elegantly. Many of the paintings of Jesus were rugged. There was one picture of jesus on the cross drawn on a piece of paper where he is drenched in blood. You could not see his face, only the way his body is positioned and his head looking down. There was also a sculpture where the material was made to look very dirty, so it looked rugged and brown. I felt like if I touched it dust was going to come off. Here Jesus was on the cross and he looked extremely ashen and emaciated. These artists were not trying to cover up the story of Jesus here.

The most interesting part of the museum was the crypt. I could not wrap my mind around the fact that someone actually went into the cemetery of the capuchin and took their bones and created art. As I walked through the crypt I would get chills because I was in the presence of the actual bones of actual human beings presented in an artful way. I didn’t know if to be amazed by the art created with every bone you can think of in the body or if to be creeped out. With the bones the artist created alters, baskets, caskets with whole bodies laying in them or standing around them, and he even created artful decorations with the bones including flowers and wall designs. Even though I was creeped out I was super intrigued and I kept trying to figure out which bone was which. I was able to point out the patella, scapula, some fingers, and of course the skulls. This was a very unique experience and words can’t really explain the feeling one gets walking through that place. I just really wish I was able to take pictures.