Putridaria e pratiche di scolatura dei corpi. Antropologia della morte in epoca moderna

Abstract

In Northern Italy there are some particular structures funeral, denominated in the critical literature “putridaria” (strainer room), associated with particular funeral practices diffused in Italy in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. These structures, which are normally placed in crypts beneath the churches, allowed to intervene in the processes of decomposition and were functional to the prolonged treatment of the corpses. After death the bodies were placed in these environments, on particular seats, called strainers, (used to desiccate the bodies, eliminating the body fluid), where they stayed until the body was completely skeletonized and free from soft tissue. Following its complete drying the body underwent a second burial, often accompanied by a new funeral. The purpose of this research is to give an interpretation of the intended use of these structures facilities and the universe ritual, ethics and religion to which they responded, through the examination of archival sources and anthropological investigation of the remains. These types of structures were also found in other Italian regions, especially in southern Italy, where, however, the practice was intended to mummify instead of skeletonizing the bodies. These buildings reflect the concept of death in terms of duration and second burial, developed by Hertz [1994] and Van Geenep[1981]. Concepts that seemed to have been eradicated from the Catholic Church and instead have stood in the heart of Modern Europe. There is also reason to believe that such structures, although a critical literature about it is missing, spread to other areas of the Mediterranean, indeed, the Spanish monarchs still use for their burials in the Escorial monastery structures identical to putridaria identified in Italy.