In 1578, a labyrinth of underground burial passages was discovered in Rome, containing the mortal remains of thousands of people, presumably early Christian martyrs. Subsequently, the remains of these so-called catacomb saints were retrieved and brought to Catholic churches and monasteries, primarily in southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, where there was an urgent need for "new" relics following the destruction of the Thirty Years' War and during the Reformation. There, skilled craftsmen and artists reassembled them, adorned them with gold and gemstones, and dressed them in magnificent garments. They were then displayed in elaborate shrines to keep the spiritual treasures that awaited the faithful in the afterlife ever present before the congregation. For nearly three centuries, these richly adorned saints were venerated.