The extensive rediscovery of the Early Christian monuments and catacombs in Rome took place from the late 16th century until the 20th century. It was always intertwined with archaeology, ecclesiastical history, devotion, and confessionalism. All discoveries, however, had a strong international resonance, attracting scholars and artists of all nationalities to Rome.
Eugenius Van Doorn, The So Called Salvatore Olandese From The Crypt Of St. Cecilia, Watercolor On Paper, Ca. 1913. Heerlen, Archive Of The Catacombs Foundation Of Valkenburg.
The first part of the lecture is conducted by Chiara Cecalupo and presents a history of the main discoveries from the late 16th until the early 19th century, with a special focus on ‘foreigners’ in Rome and their contribution to the discipline of Christian Archaeology between antiquarianism and confessionalism. On this occasion, she will present some particular stories: the Roman work of the Flemish catacomb explorer Philips van Winghe and his copies of Roman catacomb paintings from the late 16th century, and even specific moments such as the internationalization of studies on Christian archaeology since the mid-19th century.
The second part of the lecture is presented by Federica Tagliatesta and focuses on the revival of interest that led to a renewed scientific approach to the study and dissemination of Early Christian monuments in Europe from the second half of the 19th century onward. Special attention is given to the Valkenburg facsimile catacombs, created in the early 20th century by the Dutch magnate Jan Diepen. A careful survey of the Archive of the Catacombs Foundation has uncovered Diepen’s discovery of a previously unknown early medieval wall painting fragment depicting Christ’s bust in the Crypt of St. Cecilia in the Catacomb of St. Callixtus—the so-called Salvatore Olandese—highlighting the role of this discovery in the promotion of Early Christian art in the Netherlands, also for religious propaganda.
Philips Van Winghe, Copies Of The Early Christian Decorations From The Anonima Catacomb On Via Anapo, Pen And Watercolor On Paper, Ca. 1578–1592. Rome, Biblioteca Vallicelliana.
About the speakers
Chiara Cecalupo is a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Malta, with the project “UndergroundMed – The Rediscovery of Catacombs between the 16th and 20th Century in the Mediterranean Basin”. Her research themes have always focused on museum history and Christian museums, history of archaeology, particularly Christian archaeology in the Mediterranean with an interdisciplinary perspective and attention to archival sources. Both in the field of museology and the history of archaeology, she has international experience reflected in an extensive list of publications in all major European languages. She collaborated with several universities and museums in Italy, Spain, Malta, the Vatican Museum, and the Italian Council of National Research. She is also part of several international research groups and the leader of a research project concerning the rediscovery of Italian and Maltese catacombs in modern times.
Federica Tagliatesta is a postdoc at the University of Suor Orsola Benincasa in Naples, working on the project “FRAME” for the recomposition of the 11th-century decorated plaster fragments from the monastery of S. Vincenzo al Volturno (IS). Her research focuses on the study of fragmented mosaics and wall paintings from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages and the organization of fresco and mosaic workshops. She is also interested in contemporary debates in museum studies, particularly the reception and the political and social use of Early Christian and Medieval art in Europe and the Mediterranean from the 16th to the 20th century.
