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Catacombs of Rome & the Origins of Chris
Published by SCALA Group.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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About the author
Fabrizio Mancinelli
17 booksFabrizio Mancinelli, (1940 -1994) was an Italian art historian and director of Byzantine, medieval and modern art for the Vatican Museums.
As an expert on the works of Michelangelo, he supervised the cleaning and restoration of biblical scenes in the Sistine chapel. The project took 14 years and was completed in 1993.
Mancinelli staunchly defended the undertaking against claims by some art historians that the newly revealed bright colors violated the somber and subtle work of Michelangelo. Mancinelli also disputed the popular idea that the artist had painted the frescoes while lying on his back on scaffolding.
As an expert on the works of Michelangelo, he supervised the cleaning and restoration of biblical scenes in the Sistine chapel. The project took 14 years and was completed in 1993.
Mancinelli staunchly defended the undertaking against claims by some art historians that the newly revealed bright colors violated the somber and subtle work of Michelangelo. Mancinelli also disputed the popular idea that the artist had painted the frescoes while lying on his back on scaffolding.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 27, 2022
The photos and illustrations are good but the text is very dry and boring.
March 11, 2026
Abundant pictures, along with great detail about them in the text, from an artistic viewpoint , more so than the scant explanation of the religious meaning .
March 4, 2019
The Catacombs of Rome by Fabrizio Mancinelli is an exploration of a number of burial sites around the city of Rome. It features a large number of photos of artwork from the the third through fifth centuries, that depict a wide variety of Biblical events. Even though the book is only 64 pages in length, it contains an impressive 120 images. Many of these are from the walls of burial sites that were built to house the bodies of those who died for their Roman Catholic beliefs.
Although the book’s title only mentions catacombs, it also describes a number of basilicas and a few mausoleums. Typically, a page or two is allotted for each site, and their general location, layout, and notable architectural features are discussed. The author regularly lists the length and width of various places, the number of rows and columns in a room, and so on. These descriptions require the use of various terms, such as apse, narthex, and others, that may be confusing to some readers. I am one of them. About a third of the way through the book I took a few minutes to look up the some of the words that I was seeing so often. It helped quite a bit, and I recommend others do the same as needed. The author seems to assume that his readers have a certain knowledge of specialized terms. It is common to see words used in the text that are not clearly defined. There is a glossary in the back, but it is so brief that it is not very useful. On the inside cover, there is a map that shows the location of each structure. This aids in understanding the geography of the city, and where each site is located in relation to each other.
Outside of the architectural details, the most interesting aspect of the book is its multitude of photos. Mr. Mancinelli uses a significant amount of text to explain the layout of each place, and how the artwork is arranged. He often provides two photos (or more) from each location, and thankfully describes many artistic works that do not have an image to go along with them. This is appreciated, and encourages further examination of such works on one’s own. He shares images of rooms, pathways, and damaged structures that may be interesting to those who enjoy architecture. For me, the most intriguing aspect of this book was seeing various Biblical scenes expressed through art. There are many representations of Jesus’ miracles, some of which include the feeding of the five thousand and the raising of Lazarus. Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman from John 4 is also shown, as are various events from the Old Testament. I was surprised to discover that many of the images of Jesus showed Him without a beard.
Although the above was valuable, I was generally let down by the book. The complete name for this work is The Catacombs of Rome and the Origins of Christianity. Although it says much about various burial sites, most of the artwork is from the fourth century. There are images of events from the gospels, but I don’t see how the book actually discusses the origins of Christianity. As such, I can recommend it for students of architecture or religious artwork, but I think that most other people would find it boring or hard to follow. Some descriptions of the structures are very difficult to understand if one does not comprehend the terms being used.
Although the book’s title only mentions catacombs, it also describes a number of basilicas and a few mausoleums. Typically, a page or two is allotted for each site, and their general location, layout, and notable architectural features are discussed. The author regularly lists the length and width of various places, the number of rows and columns in a room, and so on. These descriptions require the use of various terms, such as apse, narthex, and others, that may be confusing to some readers. I am one of them. About a third of the way through the book I took a few minutes to look up the some of the words that I was seeing so often. It helped quite a bit, and I recommend others do the same as needed. The author seems to assume that his readers have a certain knowledge of specialized terms. It is common to see words used in the text that are not clearly defined. There is a glossary in the back, but it is so brief that it is not very useful. On the inside cover, there is a map that shows the location of each structure. This aids in understanding the geography of the city, and where each site is located in relation to each other.
Outside of the architectural details, the most interesting aspect of the book is its multitude of photos. Mr. Mancinelli uses a significant amount of text to explain the layout of each place, and how the artwork is arranged. He often provides two photos (or more) from each location, and thankfully describes many artistic works that do not have an image to go along with them. This is appreciated, and encourages further examination of such works on one’s own. He shares images of rooms, pathways, and damaged structures that may be interesting to those who enjoy architecture. For me, the most intriguing aspect of this book was seeing various Biblical scenes expressed through art. There are many representations of Jesus’ miracles, some of which include the feeding of the five thousand and the raising of Lazarus. Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman from John 4 is also shown, as are various events from the Old Testament. I was surprised to discover that many of the images of Jesus showed Him without a beard.
Although the above was valuable, I was generally let down by the book. The complete name for this work is The Catacombs of Rome and the Origins of Christianity. Although it says much about various burial sites, most of the artwork is from the fourth century. There are images of events from the gospels, but I don’t see how the book actually discusses the origins of Christianity. As such, I can recommend it for students of architecture or religious artwork, but I think that most other people would find it boring or hard to follow. Some descriptions of the structures are very difficult to understand if one does not comprehend the terms being used.
November 2, 2010
Having journied through the Catacombs of ROME has changed my life. This book has kept the memories of that journey and the art alive. I can still smell the dirt and feel the dampness underground.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews