The Oratory of the Dead

During the counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church decided to combat the popularity of Lutheranism through the forming of good works groups. These male groups were called “confraternities.” In Rome alone, there were over one hundred such groups. The groups could only be distinguished by the color of their processional robes.

Monterosso, Italy, had two such groups, the Blacks and the Whites. The Oratory of the Dead was built in the 16^th century by the Catholic Church for the Black confraternity. The Blacks, as could be guessed by the painted church and macabre decorations, brought kindness to people who were dead or on the brink of death. They would accompany condemned criminals to the gallows, hear their last confessions, and ensure proper burials. They also buried the poor and cared for shipwrecked sailors, both dead and alive.

The church was called an oratory because, as a part of the Counter-Reformation, the confraternities wanted to focus their services on oration, or speaking, that everyone could understand. Their church services and ministries centered around their desire to reach as many of the common people as possible. For the Blacks, this name could also be interpreted to coincide with death:  since death comes for everyone, the oratory is for everyone.

The artistic decorations inside and outside the church reflect the order’s mission. The black and white stripes on the outside of the church continue through the sanctuary as they wrap around Corinthian columns.  These stripes distinguish the building as unique to the Black’s order, and remind viewers of the delicate balance between life and death that the monks guided unfortunates along. Inside the church, marble skeletons recline along the upper edges of the walls. One holds a crown of spinal joints, symbolizing the crown of thorns. Intermixed among the skeletons are cupids, highlighting again the delicate balance of life and death.  

The emblem of the confraternity can be seen on the ceiling: a skull, crossbones, and an hourglass. The skull represented the presence and reality of death. Historically, crossbones represent many things, including colorations with Golgotha, the cross, and ultimately the crucifixion of Christ. The hourglass represents time passing for every mortal, reminding visitors that their time was soon to run out.

• McGahan, Florence R. "Catholic Encyclopedia - Catholic Online." Catholic Encyclopedia - Catholic Online. N.p., 1913. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
• Steves, Rick, and Rick Steves. Rick Steves' Italy. Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel Pub., 2011. Print.