Fr. Michele Piccirillo, 1944–2008

Abstract

For many of us it will be hard to imagine Mount Nebo without the presence of Fr. Michele Piccirillo, whose connection with the site commenced in 1968 and continued for more than 40 years. Fr. Piccirillo was a Franciscan priest, an archaeologist and epigrapher, but most of all a man of vision, who gained the trust of local people and the respect of the scientific community through his academic work, his humanitarian and educational efforts, and his strong opinions. Born in Casanova di Carilona near Naples in 1944, Michele Piccirillo joined the Franciscan order in 1960 and was ordained in 1969. He was posted to the Custody of the Holy Land (Custodia di Terra Santa), and studied at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (SBF) in the Monastery of the Flagellation in Jerusalem, becoming curator of the SBF Archaeological Museum in 1974. His defence of a thesis on Iron Age ceramics from Israel and the Palestinian territories at the Institute of Near Eastern Studies at La Sapienza University (Rome) in 1975, gave no indication that his future life would be devoted to Christian archaeology and to the study of mosaics in particular. In 1973 Fr. Piccirillo started work in the village of Nebo, with the conservation of the Diakonikon of the 7th-century AD memorial Church of Moses on Mount Nebo. Work here led to the discovery of a mosaic floor of 6th-century date, that was unique not only in its artistic content, but also through important inscriptional evidence that provided a glimpse of Byzantine society in the region. Although his initial fieldwork was undertaken at Mount Nebo and Khirbet al-Mukhayyat, Fr. Piccirillo worked continuously in the city of Madaba, discovering the Hippolytus Hall, the Burnt Palace (containing mosaics of 6th-century date), and the Church of the Virgin Mary (7th century), which collectively gave rise to the reputation of Madaba as ‘The City of Mosaics’. This work culminated in a conference commemorating the centenary of the Madaba Mosaic Map which was held in co-operation with the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, and which underlined the importance of Christianity in the region during Umayyad and Abbasid periods. Subsequent work undertaken at Umm al Rasas revealed the presence of several important churches, among which was discovered the superb mosaic floor of the 8th-century AD Church of St Stephen, which depicts the walled cities of Jordan, Palestine and Egypt, and which confirmed the town as one of Jordan’s key world heritage sites. Fr. Piccirillo played an important role in education, teaching at both the Studium Biblicum Francescanum in Jerusalem, and at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. His willingness to share his knowledge was reflected in his supervision of several theses in archaeology, in general, and mosaic studies, in particular, and in his contribution to the training and development of local specialists. He fully understood the value of the mosaics that he discovered, as objects of historical, cultural and religious value, not only for Jordan but for the whole region. This led him to organize individuals and institutions to create the first centre for mosaic conservation and restoration, which was intended to develop young specialists with a keen interest in, and awareness of, their heritage. As a result of these efforts, the Madaba Mosaic School was opened in 1992, becoming the Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art Restoration in 2007. Combining the skills of the School’s students, the staff of the Department of Antiquities and Italian restoration specialists, Fr. Piccirillo succeeded in undertaking several major conservation and restoration projects. In the year 2000 he opened the Jericho Workshop, a twin of the Madaba Mosaic School, intended to train young Palestinians to restore, protect and maintain their mosaic floors within the Palestinian territories. To enhance the experience of a new generation of researchers, and foster an atmosphere of friendship and shared responsibility Catreena Hamarneh; email: cataron49@yahoo.com