Opening the Holy of Holies: Early Twentieth-Century Explorations of the Sancta Sanctorum (Rome)
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Abstract
Although the Sancta Sanctorum preserved some of the most venerated relics in Rome and a miraculous image of Christ, until the early twentieth century strict rules limiting access to the space made a formal examination of these objects nearly impossible. The series of investigations and resulting publications of the Sancta Sanctorum and its treasure of reliquaries, relics, and icon that took place between 1903 and 1908 therefore demonstrate an important turning point in the Church's attitude toward the medieval chapel's sanctified space. The papal permission given to scholars such as Florian Jubaru, Hartmann Grisar, Philippe Lauer, and Josef Wilpert allowed, for the first time, a scientific examination and cataloging of the chapel's objects. The permission, however, also instigated an environment of intense academic competition, as noted especially in the publications of Grisar and Lauer. This article discusses the explorations of the Sancta Sanctorum's holy objects in the context of the highly charged political environment of early twentieth-century Rome. The article suggests that concerns over artistic patrimony, the financial stability of the Vatican, the relationship between the papacy and the Italian state, and shifting trends in scholarship played roles in the decision to open the “Holy of Holies” and reveal the contents of the treasure of the Sancta Sanctorum.
Original Publication Citation
“Opening the Holy of Holies: Early Twentieth-Century Explorations of the Sancta Sanctorum (Rome),” Church History 80: 3 (2011): 520-546
Digital Commons @ LMU & LLS Citation
Noreen, Kirstin, "Opening the Holy of Holies: Early Twentieth-Century Explorations of the Sancta Sanctorum (Rome)" (2011). Art & Art History Faculty Works. 44.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/artarhs_fac/44
