Download the fantastic book titled Heavenly Bodies written by Paul Koudounaris, available in its entirety in both PDF and EPUB formats for online reading. This page includes a concise summary, a preview of the book cover, and detailed information about "Heavenly Bodies", which was released on 05 November 2013. We suggest perusing the summary before initiating your download. This book is a top selection for enthusiasts of the History genre.
Summary of Heavenly Bodies by Paul Koudounaris PDF
An intriguing visual history of the veneration in European churches and monasteries of bejeweled and decorated skeletons Death has never looked so beautiful. The fully articulated skeleton of a female saint, dressed in an intricate costume of silk brocade and gold lace, withered fingers glittering with colorful rubies, emeralds, and pearls—this is only one of the specially photographed relics featured in Heavenly Bodies. In 1578 news came of the discovery in Rome of a labyrinth of underground tombs, which were thought to hold the remains of thousands of early Christian martyrs. Skeletons of these supposed saints were subsequently sent to Catholic churches and religious houses in German-speaking Europe to replace holy relics that had been destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. The skeletons, known as “the catacomb saints,” were carefully reassembled, richly dressed in fantastic costumes, wigs, crowns, jewels, and armor, and posed in elaborate displays inside churches and shrines as reminders to the faithful of the heavenly treasures that awaited them after death. Paul Koudounaris gained unprecedented access to religious institutions to reveal these fascinating historical artifacts. Hidden for over a century as Western attitudes toward both the worship of holy relics and death itself changed, some of these ornamented skeletons appear in publication here for the first time.
Detail About Heavenly Bodies PDF
- Author : Paul Koudounaris
- Publisher : Thames and Hudson
- Genre : History
- Total Pages : 0 pages
- ISBN : 9780500251959
- Release Date : 05 November 2013
- PDF File Size : 53,5 Mb
- Language : English
- Rating : 4/5 from 21 reviews
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