In 1578, the Roman catacombs near Via Salaria were discovered by curious vineyard workers and then fully explored by archaeologists, revealing an immense sight. Some 500,000 to 750,000 gaping, ghostly skeletons, the ancient remains of people believed to have lived in the centuries immediately after the time of Christ – during which time thousands were killed, many of them they are considered martyrs for the faith. Encrusted with gold, jewels and decorated with fine fabrics, many skeletons are displayed in the church to convey the treasures that await devout worshipers.

Catholic churches around the world were informed and immediately intrigued by the discovery, they determined to have their churches have the martyrs’ skeletons (or some) and were ready to pay top dollar for delivery. A renewed surge of interest in Catholicism can be anticipated with the purchase and distribution of deceased believers, signaling a significant recovery from religious vandalism and the destruction of precious relics of them by Protestants in recent decades.

According to Paul Koudounaris, author of Celestial Bodies, a comprehensive account of ancient saints in the catacombs, explaining that purchasing such a skeleton for one’s church in some areas of the world, especially the hard-hit regions of Germany, would represent a strong statement of faith as well as a display of admirable wealth. Some well-to-do citizens sought to add them to their private home collections, while other community sites also contacted the Vatican to place orders for their martyrs. Once acquired, they are prominently displayed and are believed to protect the congregation or family/community group as a saint. When a full skeleton cannot be purchased, a single piece, such as a ribcage or skull, is often sufficient.

Dr. Paul Koudounaris ( CC BY-SA 3.0 )

How do they know which skeletons are martyrs?
However, pagans and Jews were also buried alongside Christians in the catacombs, causing the church to do some determining. A prominent feature appears to be the engraving of the letter ‘M’ near the corpse. While skeptics have argued that this ‘M’ engraving could refer to other things, such as the popular ancient Roman name “Marcus”, church authorities still believe it means is ‘martyr’. Additionally, the church believed that martyred skeletons could be identified by the ethereal golden light they emitted, as well as a lovely fragrant scent, so reputable psychics were recruited to roam the mass graves to pick out the real martyrs from among their common neighbors.

Setting aside the possibility that the fragrance may have been due to another ancient Roman custom of leaving perfume containers on graves, the church is also convinced that dried residue extracted from jars was found next to the remains. The bones once contained the blood of the corpse itself – not perfume. After determining the skeleton belongs to a martyr, the Vatican church will then decide who it is and officially give them the title.
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From the 20th Century Martyrs Gallery at Westminster Abbey—l. ( CC BY-SA 3.0 )

To have such a martyr present in your church at that time was no small feat. Fittingly, historic church baptismal records often show that many babies were named after their martyrs in the years after the ghostly decoration appeared, a fitting honor for the active saint watch over them, protect them from harm, or take other beneficial actions. Some churches even keep diaries in “books of miracles” recording positive events or blessings believed to have been brought by their area’s patron saint.

Enough sparkle and shine to reflect the splendor of a martyr’s afterlife
The process of beautifying each skeleton was often entrusted to monasteries, or sometimes convents. The work lasted for up to three years, including the regular first wrapping of the corpse with a specially woven gauze cloth done by the nuns. This fabric is smooth and thin yet prevents dust build-up and helps hold the bones together throughout the decorating process. The skulls of some martyrs were waxed, sometimes shaped into smiles or other facial expressions. Wrapping and/or polishing comes the lavish jewelry, gems, gold and clothing, as well as the careful manipulation of the skeleton into lifelike positions. Different nuns or groups of nuns/monks began to have their own distinctly different styles of martyr decoration, although they often practiced their skills anonymously.

The skeleton is covered in jewelry. ( historyofthingstocome.blogspot.com )

Discredited and destroyed
As the 18th century came to a close, many political leaders took a more modern perspective and viewed anything considered ‘superstition’ in a negative light. People such as Austrian Emperor Joseph II were intent on collecting and destroying such relics in the hope of reducing the “vulgar” or “barbaric” image of their constituent communities.

Community members, however, viewed this change very differently and often felt saddened by the removal of saints they had admired for generations. However, they were still dismantled for jewelry and taken away, put in storage or destroyed despite the congregation’s grief.
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Austrian Emperor Joseph II by Anton von Maron. (Public domain)

Some are still intact
However, some skeletons of beloved saints survived the end of the century of destruction and can be seen to this day, with the largest display of ten full skeletons in the Basilica Waldsassen street of Waldsassen, Bavaria.
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A glass case protects the body of “Martyr Candidus” at Irsee Monastery, Bavaria. (Public domain)

Other works are scattered and displayed in places like St. Peter’s Church in Munich as well as other random garages and church basements are waiting to be found and restored.
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A reliquary in St. Peter’s Basilica, Munich. ( CC BY-SA 2.5 )

Art and clear identity
According to Koudounaris, the excellent and meticulous craftsmanship performed by the priestesses/monks, as well as the process involved in the art of the saints in the catacombs (i.e. there was no training involved) , making it worthy of its own separate art subgenre. From the perspective of an art historian, Koudounaris believes that “the question of who the saints in the catacombs were in life becomes secondary to the achievement of their creation.
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A relic from the Catacombs of Saint Pancratius. The image was taken at an exhibition at the St. Gallen in Wil, Switzerland. ( CC BY 2.5 )

They are the most beautiful works of art ever created from human bones.” Yet people still wonder who they really were in life centuries ago and how they will feel about their incredible rise and fall after dying as beautifully bejeweled skeletons. .