![]() ![]() This is the first time that some of these incredible relics – both intriguing historical artifacts and masterpieces of artistic craftsmanship in their own right – have appeared in a publication, with Koudounaris gaining unprecedented access to photograph in some of the most secretive religious establishments in Europe. #Heavenly bodies paul koudounaris archiveThe book includes arresting images of more than seventy spectacular jeweled skeletons and the fascinating stories of dozens more, accompanied by rare archive material. /rebates/2fservlet2fSearchResults3fan3dkoudounaris2520paul26tn3dheavenly2520bodies2520cult2520treasures26cmsp3dclick-plp-tbc&. ![]() They then became a source of embarrassment for the Church and most were destroyed or hidden away. For nearly three centuries these ‘Heavenly Bodies’ were venerated as miracle-workers and protectors of their communities until doubts about their authenticity surfaced in the modern era. Reassembled by skilled artisans, encrusted with gold and jewels and richly dressed in fantastic costumes, the skeletons were displayed in elaborate public shrines as reminders of the spiritual treasures that awaited the faithful after death. Hidden for over a century as Western attitudes toward both the worship. The bones were disinterred and sent to many Catholic churches and religious houses in German-speaking Europe to replace holy relics that had been destroyed during the Protestant Reformation. Paul Koudounaris gained unprecedented access to these fascinating historical artifacts. In 1578 a labyrinth of underground burials was discovered in Rome that contained the remains of thousands of individuals assumed to be early Christian martyrs. He visited and photographed over seventy sites containing human bones in nearly twenty countries in the course of writing his book The Empire of Death: A Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses, published by Thames & Hudson in 2011.įollowing the success of The Empire of Death, which has attracted a global cult following, his latest book Heavenly Bodies brings the 'catacomb saints' out of the darkness for the first time. ![]() Paul Koudounaris has a doctorate in Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has written widely on European ossuaries and charnel houses for both academic and popular journals. Paul Koudounaris: Author of Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures & Spectacular Saints From the Catacombs Paul Koudounaris will discuss his latest book Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures & Spectacular Saints From the Catacombs. ![]()
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