Hourglass emblem of the Brotherhood of Death and Prayer
The village of Monterosso offers some unusual glimpses into the history of the Catholic Church in Italy. As we wandered through the village we came across a small church whose doors were open wide. A cursory look inside immediately got our attention. This was the church of Mortis et Orationis Confraternitas (Brotherhood of Death and Prayer). The Brotherhood is, to this day, a religious society whose main purpose is to look after the souls of the dead. Founded in the late 16th century the Brotherhood assumed responsibility for burying the dead, especially the poor who would not otherwise have been afforded a Christian burial. The Brotherhood also offers prayers for the souls of the dead to help them move beyond Purgatory into Heaven. The church in Monterosso reflects the Brotherhood’s longstanding devotion to this purpose.
Interior view of the Mortis et Orationis Confraternitas Church in Monterosso al Mare
Reclining skeletons adorn the high moldings of the church looking down on the congregation below. A skull and crossbones bearing two hourglasses appears on the Mortis et Orationis emblem. The hourglasses serve as a reminder of our limited time on earth. All men must die and, in the Christian tradition, death is not to be feared. Death unites all souls with God for eternity and should be welcomed.
Skeleton adorning the Mortis et Orationis Confraternitas Church in Monterosso al Mare
If you visit the Church of Mortis et Orationis Confraternitas and you want to take pictures make sure you are well equipped. The interior of the church is dark – in keeping with the overall theme I guess. A strong flash will be needed to photograph the unusual carvings. My point and shoot flash was clearly inadequate to the task, but the photos above should give you some idea of what the church has to offer from a visual perspective.
Skeleton adorning the Mortis et Orationis Confraternitas Church in Monterosso al Mare
Wow! Beautiful.
Hi there. Thank you for your well researched and very interesting article. I’ve been to this church and wanted to learn more, so thank you. Can I please say that using flash in front of paintings is never a good idea, even weak flash is strong and it can have a bad effect on the pigments, the colours that make the painting! A good tripod and a long exposure is a much better way to make the picture and safer for the paintings and colours on the wall. Thanks for you article. Cheers, Kent.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the post. Thank you for your concern about flash photography and paintings. I agree. I am careful to turn the flash off when photographing paintings.
I found this site while searching for the meaning of “Societas Mortis et Orationis,” which I saw on a banner. We were in Monterosso’s old town in September 2023 when a colorful procession happened by. They had huge gold crosses and played funereal music while praying and proceeding around town carrying this banner. There were people dressed in religious garb and civilians carrying candles, and it sounded like they were saying the rosary in Italian (or Latin). It was a colorful and charming spectacle. Without fully understanding it, I thought it seemed like a remembrance of people who had passed. Thanks for posting this. I feel certain that they must be affiliated with the church you mentioned.
We were not fortunate enough to experience a procession. September 14th is the Feast of the Holy Cross in Catholic faith. Your description of the gold crosses carried in the procession caused me to wonder whether the procession that you saw was on that date. Thanks for your comment. Monterosso is a fascinating town to explore.
We didn’t see this church, so your blog (and response) here completes the story! The procession took place the evening of Friday, September 15, a day after the Feast of the Holy Cross. It seems quite possible that it was related. Perhaps they had several days of activities. Jesus was said to have died on a Friday, so that could be a reason why they chose that day. Yes, Monterosso is fascinating. I would have loved to have a little more time there. We also went to the nearby Riomaggiore on a boat, which was loads of fun. Amazing scenery!