Capela dos ossos

"Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos" / "We, the bones who stay here, wait for yours to come"

That is the phrase that welcomes the visitors to Capela dos Ossos (Bones chapel, in English) in Évora. The chapel is built out of human bones from the 17th century and it was made as a place to think about death and the ending of life. The only thing certain about being alive is that someday you'll die.

It is indeed a very creepy place, probably the creepiest in the world. And that's why it is worth the visit! You'll never see soo many dead people together and exposed in your life (at least I hope not).

My experience

When I first walked in the chapel I felt like running away immediately. It is not a welcoming or confortable place, but it is very intresting. The bones fit perfectly in the chapel's architecture, building columns and archs.

Also, it brings many thoughts to mind, such as how everybody has the same ending in life and how is death a natural thing.

As time went by while I was in the chapel it started getting less scary. In the end, I enjoyed the visit.

Location

The chapel is located inside the São Francisco church in Evora city center. To get in you must buy tickets (3 euros for students) and you'll also be able to visit a religious art museum and the church's tower, from where you can see the whole city - great place to take a break after seeing so many bones.

If you're in Evora, don't miss this place!