Capuchin Crypt & Carnevale

There are some things that go together, like peanut butter and jelly, and then there are days where the morning is spent staring at skeletons from the 1500s and the afternoon is filled with confetti, adorable children in costumes, and overall merriment.

On Saturday, I ventured over to the Capuchin Crypt beneath the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini church with Jamie, Andrew, Katy, Molly, and Susie. If you think you've heard of it before, you have - this is one of the most famous crypts, featured in a variety of History Channel and National Geographic shows. There are six rooms, all entirely and elaborately decorated with bones, skulls, and skeletons in strangely beautiful arrangements. There are whole skeletons of monks and friars in their robes that are standing and lying down in alcoves. It's been practically untouched since the 1700s, and the skeletons are even older - they would let the bodies decompose for 30 plus years before being "arranged" in the crypt. And a whole variety of things are named after these monks - anything from cappuccinos to capuchin monkeys. Photos aren't allowed, out of respect for the deceased, but of course they still sell postcards, so here are some scans from the ones I bought -

You can find more photos online as well. It was such a strange feeling in the crypt - eery, but peaceful, a little unsettling with a dash of disbelief. It felt a bit like a theme park at one point, like the bones were made of plastic and there simply for touristic entertainment, but then I had to remind myself that they've been there for hundreds of years, and the crypt was not made with the intent of being on such public display.

Almost immediately following the crypt (well, after a brief adventure to the outskirts of the city to find a mosaic factory that still remains mysterious, and lunch at an American institution that will not be named, with the first cheddar cheese I've seen in Rome [no, not McDonald's]), I headed to Piazza del Popolo to catch the parade for Carnevale. Carnevale actually spans a full two weeks or more, but the main parade was on Saturday. There was an abundance of costumed children and entertainers clad in Italian Renaissance garb. The parade consisted of at least 30 horses prancing down Via del Corso, drummers, people on stilts, historical groups in "Roman" costumes, and colorful confetti being thrown everywhere. But rather than explain it any more, here are some photos:

Love at first sight...