Reflect on mortality surrounded by the bones and skulls of over 5,000 deceased monks arranged ornately within this macabre 16th century chapel.
Why Go: For a striking memento mori experience among intricate bone tiling and columns unique to Portugal.
For Those Who: Have an interest in religious history, appreciate Gothic and Baroque artistry, find beauty in dark tourism spots.
Attached to the Church of St. Francis in Évora sits this chilling yet artfully adorned chapel whose walls and columns consist of human bones taken from old graves beginning in the 16th century. An estimated 5,000 skeletons contribute to the eerie displays.
Enter through a stark warning into dimly lit interiors completely covered and tiled in stacked bones, focused on a mesmerizing wheel chandelier of skulls. Examine close up the intricate patterns and religious symbols created from ribs, vertebrae, femurs and more. An elaborate Enlightenment-era mural frames the doorway.
While unsettling, the somber mood prompts valuable self-reflection on life's impermanence. A singularly Portuguese experience off the beaten track.
What You Need to Know: The Capela dos Ossos is located at Largo Abade Pedro da Cunha in Évora. Open daily except holidays. Entry costs €5.
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