Unveiling the Simulacri Corpus Sanctae. The Case Study of Saint Aurelius Martyr (Oporto, Portugal)

Abstract

The post-Tridentine Church promoted the cult of the martyrs’ relics exhumed from the Roman catacombs by exhibiting them to the veneration of the faithful in life-sized sumptuous reliquary-images (simulacri corpus sanctae). They functioned as powerful ways of dissemination of the Catholic faith and a mean of fighting Protestantism. During three centuries, the cult of the catacomb saints or holy bodies (corpi santi) spread throughout the Christian world. In recent years, a relatively large number of studies regarding the catacomb saints and their full body reliquaries (simulacra) have emerged on publications, oral presentations, and academic research. Despite being a promising topic receiving increasing attention, these reliquaries are still largely unknown in most countries, including Portugal. An overview of the first scientific approach performed on historic textiles, the skeletal remains, and the constructive system of the 18th century reliquary of Saint Aurelius Martyr from Oporto’s cathedral is presented.