The Chapel of Bones in Évora, Portugal, is part of the larger Royal Church of St. Francis, and was constructed by Franciscan mon
16th-century chapel decorated with bones, skulls, and entire bodies hanging from the wall "The Chapel's story is a familiar one. By the 16th century, there were as many as 43 cemeteries in and around Évora that were taking up valuable land. Not wanting to condemn the souls of the people buried there, the monks decided to build the Chapel and relocate the bones. However, rather than interring the bones behind closed doors, the monks, who were concerned about society's values at the time, thought it best to put them on display. They thought this would provide Évora, a town noted for its wealth in the early 1600s, with a helpful place to meditate on the transience of material things in the undeniable presence of death. This is made clear by the thought-provoking message above the chapel door: "Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos," or: "We bones, are here, waiting for yours."
Size: 5200px × 3471px
Location: The Chapel of Bones in Évora, Portugal
Photo credit: © paulabbitt rml / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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