> The only exhumation I can recall is that of Pope Formosus, whose cadaver
> was tried by a synod. Bill Monroe at Brown knows more about that case
than
> anyone else I know.
>
I learned from Julian Gardner's The Tomb and the Tiara about the exhumation
of Boniface VIII, Clement II, Gregory X, and (I think) a few others. There
was an article by a Herklotz that spoke of the exhumations, but
unfortunatley that is in German, which I don't speak. There were pictures
taken at Clement II's exhumation (which I would LOVE to get my hands on) but
from the sources I can't find where those pictures would be.
> I do not recall exhumation being discussed in Paravicini Bagliani's recent
> books.
>
I've got The Pope's Body, in both Italian and English--funny, they have
different pictures in them--and I can't remember right now if he mentions
them at all, but it is a WONDERFUL book.
Thanks for the info,
Wendy
> Tom Izbicki
>
> At 09:44 PM 12/28/2000 -0500, you wrote:
> >But who would you go to to ask permission to dig up a site? And if you
only
> >have a Masters Degree but are not with a University...how likely are they
to
> >let you do such a thing?
> >
> >I ask because (and I have about as much hope of doing this as winning the
> >lottery) several popes have been exhumed (i.e. Boniface VIII, d. 1303,
> >exhumed 1606, Clement II, d. 10-something and exhumed in 1942 in Bamburg
> >Germany, to name a few) and the Catholic Church is not against
exhumation,
> >and several other popes have been exhumed to find their cause of death
(my
> >memory is a wee rusty at this time of night, so I can't remeber exactly
> >who), so...and this is on a much grander scale...who would one ask for
the
> >Holy Crowbar to see just what killed Alexander VI (p. 1492-1503)?
> >
> >I have a vast library with many papal and Borgia books, and they're about
> >cut right down the middle as far as his death from poison or malaria
(VERY
> >INTRIGUING story about his death, and very suspicious). My dearest wish
> >(after marrying a cute, rich, single man who loves popes...and winning
the
> >lottery) is to find out how Alexander VI died.
> >
> >But I wouldn't know who to go to or what credentials I would need. I
don't
> >suspect they at Sta. Maria de Monserrato in Rome (where A6 is buried)
would
> >just say, "Sure, go for it," if I asked them to get a sampling of his
> >remains. Also, as he was wrapped in an old blanket and pummeled into his
> >too-small coffin, I suspect that the blanket itself could hold some clues
> >(wouldn't you love THAT as a tapestry in your living room!!).
> >
> >I know this question is probably pretty crazy, but if anyone knows what
the
> >proper procedure for exhuming popes would be...I'd love to hear it.
> >
> >And yes, I am being serious.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Wendy Reardon
> > > >
> >. If you are an archeologist and are
> > > interested in historical furnishing of a particular church, the best
thing
> > > to do is get permission to dig up the premises (gardens, cloisters,
ground
> > > under or near Church, graveyard, etc.), rather than the garbage heaps,
> > > which were definitely excluded from the possible burial sites for such
> > > objects.
> > >
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