The Chapel of Bones, Évora, Portugal

“Nos Ossos Que Aqui Estamos Pelos Vossos Esperamos”

“We Bones that are here, for yours await,” reads the ominous inscription above the entrance to the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) in the otherwise pleasant and welcoming town of Évora, Portugal.

The Capela dos Ossos is a small chapel located next to the entrance of the Igreja de São Francisco (St. Francis Church). Franciscan monks built the adjacent chapel in the 16th century to ease overcrowding in the town graveyards.

Évora was a wealthy town during that time period and the monks, concerned about the values of society, decided to build the chapel with the bones on display as a way to encourage reflection on the transitory nature of the human condition.

The bones and skulls of about 5000 corpses decorate the chapel’s walls, columns, and arches. They’re carefully arranged and held together by cement. The ceiling is decorated with different motifs associated with death.

Walking through the chapel was not the eerie visit that I had expected, although I’m sure that it’s different for everyone. I found it to be a peaceful and meditative experience and did indeed stop to contemplate the transient nature of life.