Raffaele Garrucci
Encyclopedia
Raffaele Garrucci was a historian of Christian art. He belonged to a wealthy family, entered the Society of Jesus
at the age of fifteen and was professed on 19 March 1853. He devoted himself to the study of the Church Fathers
, also to Pagan and Christian antiquities; both he and the celebrated Giovanni Battista de Rossi
became the principal disciples of Father Marchi. On his many journeys through Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, he collected much material for his archaeological publications.
In 1854 he wrote for Father Charles Cahier
's Mélanges d'Archéologie, a study on Phrygian
syncretism
. Soon after he edited the notes of Jean L' Heureux on the Catacombs of Rome
(in manuscript since 1605); later an essay on the gilded glasses of the catacombs (1858), and another on the Jewish cemetery at the Vigna Randanini. In 1872 he began the publication of a monumental history of early Christian antiquities, entitled Storia dell'arte cristiana. It was destined to include all works of sculpture, painting, and the minor and industrial arts, during the first eight centuries of the Christian Era. It is, in fact, a general history of early Christian art, and contains five hundred finely engraved plates and explanatory text. Five of the six volumes contain, respectively, the catacomb-frescoes - and paintings from other quarters - gilded glasses, mosaics, sarcophagi, and non-sepulchral sculptures. The first volume is devoted to the theoretical part of the work, i.e. to a history of Christian art properly so called.
In this vast collection Garrucci re-edited to some extent materials taken from earlier works. For hitherto unedited materials he used photographs or reproductions of some other kind. His engravings are not always very accurate, and in point of finish are inferior to those obtained by more modern processes. The list of his publications covers 118 numbers on Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la compagnie de Jésus (Brussels 1902), III. Among them are the aforementioned Storia dell'arte cristiana nei primi otto secoli della chiesa (6 vols. Prato 1872—81); Dissertazioni archeologiche di vario argomento (2 vols., Rome 1864-65); Le monete dell'Italia antica, Raccolta generale (Rome, 1885).
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
at the age of fifteen and was professed on 19 March 1853. He devoted himself to the study of the Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
, also to Pagan and Christian antiquities; both he and the celebrated Giovanni Battista de Rossi
Giovanni Battista de Rossi
Giovanni Battista de Rossi was an Italian archaeologist, famous outside his field for his rediscovery of early Christian catacombs.-Life and works:He was born in Rome...
became the principal disciples of Father Marchi. On his many journeys through Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, he collected much material for his archaeological publications.
In 1854 he wrote for Father Charles Cahier
Charles Cahier
Charles Cahier was a French antiquarian, born Paris on February 26, 1807. He made his preparatory studies at the College of Saint-Acheul, and entered the Society of Jesus on September 7, 1824....
's Mélanges d'Archéologie, a study on Phrygian
Phrygia
In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...
syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
. Soon after he edited the notes of Jean L' Heureux on the Catacombs of Rome
Catacombs of Rome
The Catacombs of Rome are ancient catacombs, underground burial places under or near Rome, Italy, of which there are at least forty, some discovered only in recent decades. Though most famous for Christian burials, either in separate catacombs or mixed together, they began in the 2nd century, much...
(in manuscript since 1605); later an essay on the gilded glasses of the catacombs (1858), and another on the Jewish cemetery at the Vigna Randanini. In 1872 he began the publication of a monumental history of early Christian antiquities, entitled Storia dell'arte cristiana. It was destined to include all works of sculpture, painting, and the minor and industrial arts, during the first eight centuries of the Christian Era. It is, in fact, a general history of early Christian art, and contains five hundred finely engraved plates and explanatory text. Five of the six volumes contain, respectively, the catacomb-frescoes - and paintings from other quarters - gilded glasses, mosaics, sarcophagi, and non-sepulchral sculptures. The first volume is devoted to the theoretical part of the work, i.e. to a history of Christian art properly so called.
In this vast collection Garrucci re-edited to some extent materials taken from earlier works. For hitherto unedited materials he used photographs or reproductions of some other kind. His engravings are not always very accurate, and in point of finish are inferior to those obtained by more modern processes. The list of his publications covers 118 numbers on Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la compagnie de Jésus (Brussels 1902), III. Among them are the aforementioned Storia dell'arte cristiana nei primi otto secoli della chiesa (6 vols. Prato 1872—81); Dissertazioni archeologiche di vario argomento (2 vols., Rome 1864-65); Le monete dell'Italia antica, Raccolta generale (Rome, 1885).