Nostra Signora della Concezione

Catholicism boasts countless religious orders, whose differences are often unclear even to the expert theologist. Among them there are Capuchins, a mendicant order similar to Franciscans (that has nothing in common with the breakfast coffee). If you want to make the pilgrimage to St Peter’s Basilica and take your chance at shaking hands with the Pope, God bless you. But if you’re looking for a different spiritual thrill, the church of Santa Maria della Concezione may reveal a darker side of Christianity. Its crypt contains the skeletal remains of 3,700 friars, nailed to the walls in intricate patterns as a reminder of our mortality. Still miss the Vatican?