The Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos) is one of the better known sites in Evora. It’s a small chapel built by Franciscan friars in the late 16th century, adjacent to the Church of St. Francis. Its walls and pillars are lined with bones from an estimated 5,000 corpses, excavated from nearby crowded cemeteries. It might seem macabre, but this style of decoration was popular at the time, intending to make people reflect on the transience of human life and to act accordingly. The frescoes decorating the ceiling date to 1810, illustrating passages from the Bible.
The bones are tightly and carefully arranged in a variety of patterns and held in place by cement. A photo of this chapel was highlighted in last weekend’s One Clue Mystery photo (shown below). It was only recognized by George G — congratulations, as always, George.
The message above the chapel door’s entrance reads: “Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos,” or, “We bones are here, waiting for yours.”
(Entrance to the Chapel of Bones)
The chapel is quite small and doesn’t take long to visit, but is an unusual site. It’s the second church of bones I’ve been through, the first being in Milan, Italy.
Among the many bones is a small white coffin by the altar, in which the bones of the three Franciscan monks who founded the church in the 13th century are interred.
A few more photos from our visit, highlighting the pain-staking care in the arrangement of the bones.
Wonderful! It reminds me of the Sedlec Ossuary outside of Prague