The Capela dos Ossos: A macabre masterpiece

The Capela dos Ossos, or Chapel of Bones, is a small interior chapel located next to the entrance of the Church of St. Francis. The chapel is part of the Convento de Santo António (Convent of St. Anthony) in Évora, Portugal. The chapel is famous for its unique decoration, which consists of human skulls and bones.  

The Capela dos Ossos was built by Franciscan friars in the 16th century. An estimated 5,000 corpses were exhumed to decorate the walls of the chapel. The bones, which came from ordinary people who were buried in Évora's medieval cemeteries, were arranged by the Franciscans in a variety of patterns.  

The chapel is formed by three spans 18.7 m (61.4 ft) long and 11 m (36 ft) wide. Light enters through three small openings on the left. Its walls and eight pillars are decorated in carefully arranged bones and skulls held together by cement. The ceiling is made of white painted brick and is painted with death motifs. The number of skeletons of friars was calculated to be about 5,000, coming from the cemeteries that were situated inside several dozen churches. Some of these skulls have been scribbled with graffiti. Two desiccated corpses, one of which is a child, are in glass display cases. And at the roof of the chapel, the phrase "Melior est dies mortis die nativitatis (Better is the day of death than the day of birth)" (Ecclesiastes, 7, 1) from Vulgate is written. [8-13] Inside the Capela dos Ossos a poem about the need to reflect on one's existence hangs in an old wooden frame on one of the pillars. It is attributed to Fr. António da Ascenção Teles, parish priest of the village of São Pedro (wherein the Church of Saint Francis with its Capela dos Ossos was erected) from 1845 to 1848. The entrance to the Capela dos Ossos reads, "We bones that are here await yours."  

The Capela dos Ossos is a popular tourist destination, and it is often described as one of the most macabre places in the world. The chapel is a reminder of the fragility of human life and the inevitability of death. It is also a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of the Franciscan friars who created it.

The Capela dos Ossos is a must-see for anyone visiting Évora. It is a unique and unforgettable experience.