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Skeleton bling

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Social Links for Phil Helsel
Published Sep. 10, 2013, 4:48 p.m. ET
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– Weyarn, Germany, St. Valerius skull detail. The elaborately decorated relic of the presumed martyr from the Roman Catacombs arrived in the town’s monastery church in the early 18th century. An entire –
An art historian nicknamed ‘Indiana Bones’ has unearthed a haunting collection of jewel-encrusted skeletons which were hidden in churches across Europe up to 400 years ago.
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– Burgrain, Germany, skull detail of St. Albertus. The relic to the small town near Isen in the early 18th century as a presumed skeleton of a martyr from the Roman Catacombs. It was decorated by a loca –
LA-based photographer Paul Koudounaris lifts the lid on the ornamental skeletons in a new book Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures & Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs.
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– Melk, Austria, St. Friedrich. The relic was given to the large monastery church as a gift of the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. It was presumed to be a martyr discovered in the Roman Catacombs, but w –
The skeletons, originally believed to be those of Christian martyrs were unearthed in Rome in 1578, and distributed to churches in Germany Austria and Switzerland where they were adorned with jewels and gold and silver.
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– Waldsassen, Germany, detail of St. Gratian. The Basilika at Waldsassen holds the largest extent collection of presumed skeletons of martyrs from the Roman Catacombs still on display. There are ten ful –
“As I discovered more about them I had this feeling that it was my duty to tell their fascinating story,” Koudounaris told the Huffington Post.
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– Munich, Germany, detail of head and chest of St. Iocondino. The relic is that of a boy’s skeleton, taken from the Roman Catacombs and believed to be a child martyr. It was originally at St. Stephan’s –
By the 1800s, the excessive decorations were deemed over-the-top and were largely removed from public view.
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Rorschach, Katakombenheiliger Konstantinus / Foto 2012 – Rorschach, Switzerland, St. Konstantius full skeleton in shrine. The skeleton of a presumed martyr from the Roman Catacombs arrived in the town’s church of St. Kolumban in the 1670s. It is still in
“Tracking down the remaining skeletons involved lots of detective work, and for all the ones that are on display there are a lot that aren’t,” Koudounaris said.
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– Gutenzell, Germany, St. Hyacinthus skull –
“Some were in churches but others were hidden away in storage containers and lock-ups.”
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– Bürglen, Switzerland, detail of the skull St. Maximus inside armored helmet. One of two surviving skeletons of saints taken from the Roman Catacombs as presumed martyrs and decorated in armor in Switz –
7US-K1-0968-000122 (2140883) E: armored helmet. One of two surviving skeletons of saints taken from the Roman Catacombs as presumed martyrs and decorated in armor in Switz Bürglen, Switzerland, detail of…
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– Bad Schussenried, Germany, St. Valentin head –
7US-K1-0968-000021 (2140782) E: Bad Schussenried, Germany, St. Valentin head Bad Schussenried, Germany, St. Valentin head. The relic is one of two skeletons of presumed martyrs from the Roman Catacombs in…
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– Muri, Switzerland, shrine containing the relics of St. Benedictus. The relic of a martyr from the Roman Catacombs arrived in the town’s monastery church in the latter half of the 17th century. The bon –
7US-K1-0968-000223 (2140736) E: ctus. The relic of a martyr from the Roman Catacombs arrived in the town’s monastery church in the latter half of the 17th century. The bon Muri,…
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Wil, Katakombenheiliger Pankratius / Foto 2010 – Wil, Switzerland, upper body of St. Pancratius. The relic of a presumed martyr from the Roman Catacombs arrived in the city’s church of St. Nicholas in the 1670s. The relic was considered miraculous. –
7US-K1-0968-000433 (2146301) Wil, Katakombenheiliger Pankratius / Foto 2010 Wil (St. Gallen, Schweiz), Stadtkirche St. Nikolaus. – Katakombenheiliger Pankratius. – Foto, 2010. E: a presumed martyr from the Roman Catacombs arrived…
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