Plague Columns

In the center of the ossuary, four tapered columns surround a rectangular vault in the floor.

Each of the columns has a beautifully painted faux marble finish on the wooden structure, in blue-grey tones, with contrasting faux white marble painted wainscoting inserts in the pedestal.

In typical ossuary fashion, instead of the normal column base, you will find 3 wooden carved skulls with snakes slithering in and around them. Each skull is unique, and found on all 3 main sides of each triangular column. While the skull and snake are often seen as a symbol of man's mortality, snakes are also recognized as a symbol of humanity as a whole.

But is there a significance to the fact that these columns are three-sided? Since many of the remains belonged to plague victims, it is possible that Santini's vision was a tribute to “plague columns”, that are found all over Europe. These columns represent people's solace at the end of the plague epidemic, and the 3 sides would symbolize the traditional idea of the Holy Trinity.

Santini adorned the columns with decorative, carved, wooden and metallic elements to contrast the rich tones of the marble. There are detailed baroque-styled candleholders, each holding a skull & bones, that rise up along the whole column height. Instead of a capital at the top, you will find various plump cherubs (or putto), holding musical instruments or skulls in their laps.

The curious floor vault in between the columns leads to an underground crypt. Nine remains have been discovered in this subterranean chamber so far. Information as to who was buried here, or how large this chamber is, has yet to be discovered. There may possibly be more remains to be found.

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