A PILGRIMAGE TO LIFE-SIZE SKELETON ART OF ANCIENT AND BAROQUE ROME

THE MEMENTO MORI ERA, LATIN FOR REMEMBER YOU DIE !  THE 17th CENTURY WAS A RELIGIOUS ERA DEFINING THIS LIFE AS TRANSITORY AND ONLY A PREPARATION FOR ETERNAL LIFE.

COST IS A FLAT 500 EURO, UNLESS THE GROUP IS SO LARGE OUR DRIVER HAS TO UPGRADE.  THERE ARE 10 CHURCHES WE HAVE TO VIEW SO IT’s AN INTENSE BUSY PILGRIMAGE.  WE WILL VISIT AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.


WE WILL BEGIN WITH MY VERY FAVE LIFE-SIZE SKELETON ART OF ALL TIME, at SAN PIETRO IN VINCOLI.  THIS CHURCH REACHED BY AN OUTSIDE UP STAIRWAY OFF VIA CAVOUR OR NEARBY COLLE OPPIO HILL AND THE COLOSSEO.




JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO GET SOME RELIEF FROM A FULL BLOWN SKELETON, WHAMMY, THERE’s BIG BONY LEGS AND FEET STICKING OUT FROM BEHIND THE MARBLE COFFIN AND YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENTIRE WHOLE LIFE-SIZE SKELETON EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT PROVE WHAT’s BEHIND THE TOMB!  1707 SCULPTURE BY PIERRE LE GROS THE YOUNGER FOR CINZIO ALDOBRANDINI.  FULL BLOWN WINGS AND THE UBIQUITOUS HOURGLASS AND THIS ONE IS A LADY, with a Scythe!!



ON THE EAST SIDE OF LARGO ARGENTINA, LA CHIESA DI GESU’ e MARIA.







THIS IS A VERY MACABRE SKELETON THAT HAS CONSUMED EVERY INCH OF ITS PATRON EXCEPT FOR ITS HEAD!  SCULPTOR DOMENICO GUIDI FOR PATRON CAMILLO DEL CORNO, 17TH CENTURY BAROQUE.  


SANTA MARIA IN MONTERONE, in the CENTER OF ROME, BETWEEN LARGO ARGENTINA AND THE PANTHEON.  




THE WINGED SKELETON DRAPED CASUALLY SITTING OVER THE END OF A COFFIN, LOOKING BACKWARD AND HOLDING THE MEDALLION FRAME OF ITS PATRON STEFANO, a ROMAN CARDINAL. IN FRONT.  17TH CENTURY ART.


SANTA MARIA DELL’ ANIMA NEAR PIAZZA NAVONA.




An EXAMPLE OF AN ANIMATED SKELETON SITTING ON TOP OF A CARDINAL’s TOMB.



SAN LORENZO IN DAMASO, LINING CORSO VITTORIO EMMANUELE, WEST OF CAMP DEI FIORI AND PIAZZA NAVONA.





For ALESSANDRO VALTRINI, SCULPTED BY GIAN LORENZO BERNINI, 17TH CENTURY BAROQUE.



SANT’AGOSTINO AL CAMPO MARZIO




YOU WOULDN’t KNOW IT WAS THERE, JUST HANGING OUT WITH ALL THE REST IN THIS MOSTLY FLESH AND BLOOD ENSEMBLE.   CAMOUFLAGED IN FULL DRAPERY IT HIDES IN THE CORNER UNTIL YOU LOOK REAL CLOSE TO FIND IT OUT.  OTHERWISE HIDING ANONG THE LIVING IT CAN TOO EASILY GO UNDETECTED AND THAT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE!


CHIESA DI SAN GIACOMO ALLA LUNGARA.




FOR CARDINAL MERENDA SCULPTED BY GIAN LORENZO BERNINI, 17th CENTURY BAROQUE.  The FLOATING SKELETON WINGED AND DRAPED.


La BASILICA DI NEREO E ACHILLEO.  THEY WERE ROMAN SOLDIERS CONNECTED TO THE FLAVIAN DYNASTY ALIVE AT THE END OF THE FIRST CENTURY A.D. AND ALONG WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE EMPEROR’s FAMILY, SUFFERED MARTYRDOM FROM EMPEROR DOMITIAN.  THESE TWO MARTYRS WERE ORIGINALLY BURIED ON THE THIRD TIER OF THE DOMITILLA CATACOMBS.  In fact AS YOU WALK ON THE FLOOR OF THE CHURCH CONNECTED TO THE CATACOMBS YOU WILL SEE AN EXCAVATED SECTION COVERED OVER WITH GLASS.  THAT IS WHERE NEREO AND ACHILLEO WERE ORIGINALLY BURIED SOMETIME IN THE LATE FIRST CENTURY.  THE CHURCH WAS BUILT OVER THE THIRD TIER OF THE CATACOMBS.  THAT SAME CHURCH WAS ORIGINALLY DEDICATED TO NEREO AND ACHILLEO AND ONLY CHANGED TO DOMITILLA AFTER ITALIAN UNIFICATION.



MY VERY FAVE FLOOR MOSAIC OF A VERY COLORFUL BIGGER THAN LIFE LIFE-SIZE WINGED AND DRAPED SKELETON ART, ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN ROME, NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT ANYWHERE ELSE.  FOR CARDINAL BACCIO ALDOBRANDINI, 17TH CENTURY BAROQUE.  It’s ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND A MUST-SEE IN ROME.



SANT’ ONOFRIO AL GIANICOLO HILL, ADJACENT TO AND SOUTH OF VATICAN CITY.




FULLY DRAPED IN A PART REVEAL AT THE SIDE OF A GRAVE, HANGING LIKE A MEDALLION OFF THE SIDE OF A WALL IN A CORRIDOR LEADING TO THE CHURCH.  WE HAVEN’t ARRIVED YET IN THE CHURCH AND THIS IS THE FIRST OBJECT THAT GREETS YOU AFTER YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOOR!



ST. PETER’s BASILICA in ROME




17TH CENTURY GIAN LORENZO BERNINI, a TOMB FOR POPE ALEXANDER VII, a LIFE-SIZE SKELETON FLOATING IN AIR, ITS HEAD HIDDEN UNDER HEAVY MARBLE DRAPERY, ARMS OUTSTRETCHED TO HEAVEN AND HOLDING AN HOURGLASS.   WE ARE ONLY ALLOTTED SO MUCH TIME.  THIS IS THE “MEMENTO MORI,” THE ARCHWAY UNDER WHICH DECEASED POPES ARE CARRIED TO THE MAIN ALTAR FOR MASS.  STARTING FROM THE DOOR OF PRAYER ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF THE BASILICA, POPE BENEDICT XVI ENTERED THE BASILICA ONE LAST TIME ON JANUARY 2, 2023, HE PASSED UNDER BERNINI’s MEMENTO MORI MONUMENT ON HIS WAY TO THE ALTAR.


COST IS A FLAT 500 EURO FOR A 3-HOUR PILGRIMAGE, MORE LIKELY DONE BETEEN 8:30 and 11:30, or 9 - 12 NOON.  Email me at cuteycat9@gmail.com or WHATSAPP ME AT 0039 338 744 7764 from Italy or 01139 338 744 7764 from the USA.  For ACCOUNT DETAILS.  IF GROUP IS LARGE ENOUGH REQUIRING DRIVER TO UPGRADE, COST WILL BE HIGHER.


SANDRA PANICI, THE ROMAN PILGRIM IN PERSON IN ROME


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