Chiesa di Santa Maria della Concezione (Our Lady of the Conception / Capuchin Crypt), Rome

At the base of Via Veneto stands a modest church founded by Antonio Barberini, Cardinal and Capuchin friar, who happened to be Pope Urban VIII's brother. Unlike most cardinals who were laid to rest in elaborate marble sarcophagi, Antonio Barberini's burial place is a simple flagstone near the altar. Its somber epitaph in Latin reads, "Here lies dust, ashes, nothing."

The church reveals an even grimmer portrayal of mortality in the Museum and Capuchin Crypt beneath its grounds. Over the course of a century, generations of Capuchin friars adorned the walls of five vaulted chapels with the bones and skulls of their departed brethren, creating a macabre memento mori. Approximately 4,000 skeletons were utilized in this haunting display, which began in the late 17th century. Among them, one can find intact skeletons, including that of a young Barberini princess who met an untimely demise. As you exit, an inscription in Latin solemnly proclaims, "What you are, we used to be. What we are, you will be."

Tip:
In the church's first chapel on the right, you will encounter Guido Reni's Archangel St. Michael Trampling the Devil, painted in the mid-17th century. This artwork caused quite a scandal when a keen observer pointed out the striking resemblance between the devil's face and that of Pope Innocent X, a formidable foe of Reni's Barberini patrons. Take a moment to compare the devil's visage with the bust of the pope showcased in Palazzo Doria Pamphilj and draw your own conclusions.