Vernacular miracles
Blood and Bones in Neapolitan Religion
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4317812 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Donald Cosentino (0000-0002-7470-476X), Donald J Cosentino (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 472-492 |
| Publication date | 2014-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Material Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1743-2200 • E-ISSN: 1751-8342 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.2752/175183414x14176054221409 |
| OpenAlex | W2328129758 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 2 |
Naples is a city run by miracles. Canonical miracles like the thrice-annual liquefaction of San Gennaro's blood, and vernacular miracles, like those effected by the capozzelle, anonymous skulls venerated at Fontanelle, the largest ossuary in Europe. Devotees visited these “little skulls” at the cemetery, cleaned them, adopted them into their families, even had them rebaptized. In return for these favors, the anime pezzentelle (vagabond souls) conjured by the skulls were expected to be conduits for divine favors or to provide more concrete benefits, like revealing winning lotto numbers in dreams. In the wake of Vatican II reforms, the Neapolitan archbishop denounced the anime pezzentelle cult as fetishism, and ordered the closure of Fontanelle, along with public access to the last two churches which still housed capozzelle. Based on field research in 1999, 2002, 2006, and 2013, I have documented the contest between the official church and partisans of the vernacular cult over the stewardship of the capozzelle, as well as the significance of this struggle for the practice of vernacular religion in Naples
Ancient history · Anime · Archbishop · Art · CONTEST · Cult · Literature · Purgatory · Theology · Vernacular · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Classics · History · Philosophy · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices · Religious Tourism and Spaces
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |