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Activity Funded

Holy Bodies | An Atlas of the Corpi Santi in Portugal

Santos Corpos | Um Atlas dos Corpi Santi em Portugal

Reference
2022.01486.PTDC
Project Start Date
2023-03-12
Project End Date
2026-12-31
Principal Investigator
Coinvestigator
Scientific Area
Humanities
Funding Program
Concurso de Projetos de I&D em Todos os Domínios Científicos - 2022 - ICDT

Abstract

Holy Bodies project plans to spot the “corpi santi” in Portugal, a particular type of full-body reliquaries that were profusely sent to Western Catholic countries after rediscovering the catacombs in Rome. These reliquaries intended to promote and strengthen religious practice, as they also constituted a sign of power and influence for those who ordered them. Nevertheless, during the 19th century, the affective piety they once inspired converted into embarrassment due to their ambiguous origin. Many were removed from their original cult places, and the majority forgot. A renewed wave of curiosity and interest in “corpi santi” has been increasing in the Western world in the last twenty years, however, embraced only by a short number of scholars. In Portugal, the study of “corpi santi” constitutes an entirely emergent body of knowledge involving some team members. The Holy Bodies project will bring these assets to a multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary discussion under the supervision of its focused, skilled team, consultants, and advisors. To do so, different approaches will be considered. Roman and Portuguese archives previously selected will be surveyed to gather information on commissioning from Portugal and define an atlas for the “corpi santi” arriving in the country between the 17th and the mid-19th century. Besides, devotional practice around these types of reliquaries is to be characterised. The project also aims to establish comprehensive discussions on the impact these cult objects had on the Art History and cultural atmosphere in Portugal, considering their theatrical narratives enframed by other decorative and integrated arts in the Baroque period. Due to “corpi santi” peculiar composite nature that includes human remains being venerated by the Church as martyrs, ethical debate centred on the objects, handling, and conservation works will be intensively undertaken. Ethical guidelines for best practices will be defined for an enriched understanding of religious and cultural heritage universes. From a hands-on point of view, the project plans to study the materiality of the objects, starting with digital imaging techniques, namely, photography, radiography, and 3D digitalisation. Radiography will be crucial for non-invasive observations of the bones' frame’s anatomic correctness and unveiling the metallic structure that supports the body. Photography alongside in-situ microscopy and a batch of analytical techniques at the laboratory will be decisive to reveal the garments’ high-quality work, namely, fabrics’ materials and patterns, metallic threads, dyes, and so forth. The complete description of the garments’ materiality, reliquaries, attributes, and shrines will allow the team to establish the “corpi santi” characteristics in Portugal fully. “Corpi santi” need interpretation in a broader context than the Portuguese. They made part of a concerted action born in Rome that reached Catholic countries. Due to that, it is fundamental to go beyond Portugal. The Portuguese corpus, including the “corpi santi” that keep their original clothes and mounting system and those that possibly underwent modification in Portugal, will be compared with those in Rome. The aim is to gather information on similarities and discrepancies concerning stylistic aspects, materials and techniques used in their production, and relics cult. ”Corpi santi” in Portugal will also be compared to those in German-speaking countries, which can be associated with a much different narrative, either from a historical or from a stylistic point of view. While losing much of their religious context, many “corpi santi” are facing nowadays dramatic deterioration processes. The team’s expertise in conservation works willproduce conservation protocols and guidelines for mitigation and future works as knowledge transfer from the team to the entities that own the objects. The elements collected will give rise to a prosopographical database with entries for each “corpi santi”, available to the scientific community and general public. We will use 3D digital imaging methods to document the objects, their position, and state of conservation. With the gathered information, a library will be created and coupled to the database, and virtual visits to the “corpi santi” spread in the country will be possible. Besides, immersive reality experiences will be available for visiting the surrounding spaces where the “corpi santi” are located, and virtual interaction with the 3D models will be possible. The Portuguese “corpi santi” will be presented in a photographic exhibition to the general public. A roadmap for Portugal’s “corpi santi” will be thought of with leaflets for visiting routes and a book collecting all the gathered information. Finally, RelicS2 International Congress will join scholars worldwide working in the field. It is time to say that, taking liberty from Tertullian’s Apologeticus, the “bones” of the martyrs are effective seeds (of knowledge).

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade de Évora (Uévora)

Other Institutions

  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL)
  • Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, E.P.E. (MMP)
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP)
  • Republica Portuguesa Direção-Geral do Património Cultural (DGPC)

Funding 248.955,54 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

248.955,54 €