Beneath the Church of Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte in Rome lies a crypt decorated with human bones, a stark reminder of mortality. The church, founded in the 16th century by a confraternity dedicated to burying the dead, was rebuilt in Baroque style in the 18th century by Ferdinando Fuga.
The crypt’s macabre arrangements—skulls, femurs, and vertebrae forming decorative patterns—reflect a devotional tradition focused on the transience of life and the need for prayer for the souls of the dead.
