The Forgotten King Drenched in Gold: A Lost Legacy Unearthed

Heavenly Bodies is more than just a photo book—it is a portal into a mysterious world where “forgotten kings” of faith were once honored with gold and jewels. Today, these glittering skeletons in European churches are living relics of a dramatic era, where fascination, power, and belief blended together, creating a new chapter in the story of sacred relics.

The Journey to Unearth the Forgotten Kings

In 1578, a sensational discovery shook Rome: the remains of thousands, thought to be Christian martyrs, were found deep beneath the city in ancient catacombs. They became known as the “catacomb saints,” but in truth, the identities of these skeletons remain an unsolved mystery.

These bones were then dispatched to Catholic churches across Europe, especially to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria—frontlines in the struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism. Here, the relics were lavishly adorned with gold, precious stones, silks, and crowns. Each skeleton, encrusted with shimmering gems, became a dazzling spectacle, a powerful symbol of divine glory and the resurgence of the Catholic Church.

Saints or Strangers? The Mystery Behind the Jewels

According to Paul Koudounaris, who spent years photographing and researching these relics for his book Heavenly Bodies, most of these skeletons had no known identity. When the catacombs were rediscovered, people assumed the remains belonged to early Christian martyrs. In reality, Romans and Jews were buried there as well. Sometimes, the church would even send psychics into the catacombs to “select” saints by trance, or simply invent names and virtues for the bones they unearthed.

Some skeletons were named after virtues, others after existing saints, and occasionally, out of sheer lack of inspiration, they were given names like “Saint Anonymous.” None of these relics were canonized in the traditional sense, but once they arrived at their new churches, they were reborn as local patrons, protectors, and symbols of faith.

Divine Propaganda: Awe and Power in Jewels

Why were these relics sent north? It was a bold move in the Counter-Reformation. The Catholic Church wanted to reclaim its lost glory and win back hearts in regions swayed by Protestantism. A full-sized skeleton, drenched in gold and jewels, placed in a church, was an irresistible spectacle. It represented the promise of heavenly reward for those faithful to the church—a visual propaganda that declared: We are strong, we are back, and we are the true way for the faithful.

On a popular level, these “saints” became patrons of all kinds of causes. One jeweled skeleton in Switzerland became the Patron Saint of Urinary Disorders after a woman claimed to be cured of incontinence by praying before him. From then on, the faithful would travel to his shrine, hoping for miracles.

The Most Ornate Skeleton: St. Albertus

Among all the catacomb saints, St. Albertus stands out as the most lavishly decorated. Koudounaris opens his book with Albertus, not only because of his breathtaking appearance—his ribs and skull entirely covered in jewels—but also because of the story of the nun who dressed him. Albertus was proclaimed a living vision of God’s glory—a symbol of the “heavenly Jerusalem,” the golden city promised to the faithful.

A Lost Legacy, Rediscovered

Today, these skeletons—once forgotten, now sparkling in gold—invite us to reflect on the blurred boundaries between faith, history, and spectacle. They are silent witnesses to an age when belief was as much about awe and wonder as it was about devotion. The forgotten king, drenched in gold, reminds us that history’s greatest treasures are sometimes hidden in plain sight, waiting to be unearthed by those willing to look beneath the surface.

Heavenly Bodies by Paul Koudounaris offers a rare glimpse into this lost legacy—one that is as haunting as it is magnificent.