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Capela dos Ossos in Portugal
The Capela dos Ossos...
Capela dos Ossos in Portugal
The Capela dos Ossos in the Church of St. Francis in Portugal seems to be made of bones. The very walls of the chapel have bones in them, with cement holding everything together. Even the pillars supporting the ceiling have skulls running up and down them.
Built in the 16th century, the Capela dos Ossos (or Chapel of Bones) was built with the goal of pointing out how short life is. The poem at the chapel’s entrance emphasizes this, as it reads in part, “Where are you going in such a hurry, traveler? Pause … You have no greater concern than this one. … Recall how many have passed from this world, reflect on your similar end. Our bones that are here await yours.”
Estimates are that there are roughly 5,000 bodies whose skeletons are represented in the chapel. There are also two bodies hanging from chains – and one of them is that of a child.
