The “Catacomb Saints” of South Tyrol
Researching, preserving and revaluing a forgotten cultural heritage
Many visitors to churches barely notice the magnificently adorned relics in their glass shrines. Those who do notice them usually react with the whole range of emotions, from shock and shivers to amazement and amusement. The devotion that earlier generations showed to these Roman saints and their earthly remains seems completely forgotten. It is all the more regrettable that there is no in-depth study of this aspect of Baroque piety, which is so important for South Tyrol.
In 1578, the ground gave way in the vineyards along the Via Salaria in Rome and exposed the underground galleries of a catacomb. In the climate of the emerging Catholic Reform, the perspective changed. Where curiosity and interest in antiquity had dominated until then, attention now turned to the heroic resistance with which the early Christians had faced pagan challenges to their faith, even to the point of martyrdom. Alongside the growing archaeological interest in Christian antiquities, the Church hierarchy also began to pay close attention.
The relics became pledges of a pure and unbroken tradition of faith, from the days of early Christianity to the papal Rome of the Counter-Reformation. On the assumption that everyone buried in the catacombs was an early Christian martyr, the holy bodies were exhumed on a large scale and given to church institutions throughout Europe. This practice was hardly questioned until well into the 19th century.
The particularly large number of catacomb saints in South Tyrol, relative to the size of the territory, is explained by the anti-Protestant tendencies of the Diocese of Brixen, which was committed to the Catholic Reform. Within Eucharistic piety, the veneration of saints and relics was an area where the differences between religious views could be shown especially clearly. It was also meant to prevent Protestantism from spreading to the parishes of the Diocese of Brixen.
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Project description
Inventory
Since autumn 2017, an inventory has been under way in monasteries and churches across South Tyrol. So far, forty-two full-body relics have been located and documented photographically and in terms of textile technique, together with their state of preservation. Taking this inventory often resembles meticulous detective work, because the catacomb saints are not always kept in churches; sometimes they have been stored without due dignity in cellars or attics. According to a cautious estimate, there are around 60 catacomb saints in South Tyrol (excluding reliquaries that contain a skull or only a few bones).
Restoration and conservation
The full-body skeletons, often kept in glass coffins on side altars, or wooden figures fitted with human bones covered in transparent gauze, were artfully adorned with coloured glass stones, pearls, lace, filigree ornaments and magnificent decorative fabrics. The parishes and communities concerned once invested very large sums in producing and furnishing these figures of saints, to the benefit of the workshops they commissioned. These exceptionally valuable works can still be admired in many churches across Europe. A great many of these testimonies of popular piety have survived in South Tyrol; however, partial neglect has left many of them in poor condition and at risk of decay.
Goals of restoration and conservation
The goals of restoration and conservation are to preserve, enhance and honour these remarkable works of particular artistic and historical importance. They bear witness to high-quality Baroque craftsmanship and are precious treasures from a religious, cultural and historical point of view. Three catacomb martyrs have already been restored: two standing catacomb saints from the parish church of St. Martin in Passeier, St. Magnus and St. Valentine, and the reclining St. Victor from the abbey church of Neustift.
Research and training
The field of catacomb saints has so far been little or not at all researched. The historical circumstances and the dividing lines between different religious views, which eventually led to a renewal of the Church and culminated in the popular missions of the 18th century, will be examined in depth. Alongside the certificates of origin, the transport conditions are studied, together with scientific analyses of age, way of life, diet and more, which can shed further light on the lives of the catacomb martyrs.
Training
Because the restoration and conservation of catacomb saints is an interdisciplinary task that combines textile, wood, metal and bone restoration with passing on knowledge about relics of great historical and ecclesiastical importance, the European Textile Academy is planning a training course in this field.
Scientific publication
Alongside the research, specialist contributions are being collected and brought together in a scientific publication.
People involved
In cooperation with the Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen and the parishes, the entire planning is carried out by the European Textile Academy, which brings in experts for each area of responsibility. Historians, art historians and specialists from the relevant fields are commissioned for the scientific documentation.
Project lead: European Textile Academy, Irene Tomedi
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