The Crypt of the Capuchins

I forgot to mention one of our stops in Rome on our recent Italian adventure. This is on the via Veneto and gets a lot of tourists. But I think it was actually put together before tourism became all that big a deal. Well, now that I think about it, I suppose touring Rome has always been the thing to do in Europe. They used to call themselves pilgrims. Yes, you are correct, the picture above are skulls, artfully arranged of course.

Anyway the Capuchins have been here since 1631. I am not sure when they got started with the bony artwork. One source says after they moved earlier burials to this place in the 17th century. Another says that the arranging of bones started after 1870. They say they came to pray here before retiring for the night: the message being perhaps that death closes the gate of time and opens that of eternity. Of course, we moderns have completely forgotten about the long history of the Catholic (especially in the days when Catholic meant all Christians) cult of the dead, the skull on the desk to remind themselves of their mortality etc. "What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be."

When the Last Trumpet sounds there is going to be a lot of confusion at this spot, as the bones of any one individual are pretty much scattered around, and I suppose the mice have carried off a few as well.

I am in the process of sorting through shoeboxes, I mean literally shoeboxes, filled to the brim with old pictures, in no special order. Some of these go back to the 60s and before, like in "the olden days" as our kids used to say about any time before they were born. The one to the right is a faded, poorly exposed snapshot taken sometime during the 40s. The girl on the right is Carol and I think that is her sister on the left, or is it the other way around?

To the left is one from another life, now closed off almost completely by virtue of advancing age. Fortunately we didn't take so many pictures in the pre-digital age. We still throw away as many now as then.

Carol had the wit to label it, otherwise we would still be guessing. I don't care what they say, I liked those big hairdos. And I liked wearing fancy uniforms too.

Then there are a ton of scrapbooks from my mother's basement. There are some real prizes here. I am trying to get these in shape before the 2nd Mueller Melee this summer.