The Displaying of Dead Bodies in Italian Catholicism (c.1750-1950)

Pezzini, Andrea (24 November 2024). The Displaying of Dead Bodies in Italian Catholicism (c.1750-1950) (Unpublished). In: Strategies, Practices, Representations of Religious and Political Martyrdom Between the Early Modern and Contemporary Ages. 23-24 November 2023.

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Since the latter half of the 18th century, the concept of sanctity in Catholicism underwent significant changes in both its canonical and devotional aspects. Alongside these changes, there was a notable increase in the occurrence of extraordinary phenomena involving the corpses of Catholic heroes, such as incorruption, flexible limbs, and fragrances. Public displays of the dead bodies in churches, crypts, and convents often accompanied these events. While these remarkable occurrences recurred throughout the history of the Church since its origin, the sheer quantity of them, in conjunction with the complexity of the period, makes these cases uniquely intriguing. My doctoral project aims to hermeneutically investigate this phenomenon, addressing questions such as: to whom do dead bodies belong? Are they saints, blessed, servants of God, or none of those above? What were the attitudes of the Church, political authorities, and scientists? Are there recurring figures, such as martyrs, members of religious orders, or mystics? I approach these questions in my thesis by focusing on the Italian context, where most cases are located. I employ a comparative methodology, examining various political and religious contexts, and adopt a long-term perspective to trace both continuities and discontinuities. During my presentation, I will provide an overview of the current state of research, focusing on introducing the phenomenon’s statistical overview, summarizing interpretative approaches, discussing research methodologies and sources employed, and highlighting potential future directions and unresolved questions.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Division/Institute:	01 Faculty of Theology > Institute of Old Catholic Theology 01 Faculty of Theology > Institute of Old Catholic Theology > Church History and Historical Theology, Liturgical Studies
UniBE Contributor:	Pezzini, Andrea
Subjects:	200 Religion > 270 History of Christianity 900 History 900 History > 940 History of Europe
Language:	English
Submitter:	Andrea Pezzini
Date Deposited:	28 Mar 2024 11:55
Last Modified:	28 Mar 2024 11:55
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/194986