Capela dos Ossos

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The Capela dos Ossos, or in English Bone Chapel is one of the best known monuments in Evora, Portugal. It is located next to the entrance of the church Igreja_de_São_Francisco. It was build by a monk that, in the baroque spirit of that era, wanted to transmit the message of life being transitory, as you can see in the famous warning at the entrance “Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos” or in English: “We bones that are here, for your bones we wait”. The chapel is formed by 3 spans of 18,70 meters in length and 11 meters width, the light enters through 3 small openings on the left. It's walls and eight pillars are "decorated" with bones and skulls held together by cement. The ceiling is made in white painted brick and are painted with death reminding motifs. The number of skeletons was calculated to be about 5000, coming from the cemeteries that were situated inside churches, of the monks religious order.

Sejam causa de seus tormentos.

[edit] Poem about existence (in old Portuguese)

Aonde vais, caminhante, accelerado?
Pára...não prosigas mais avante;
Negocio, não tens mais importante,
Do que este, á tua vista apresentado.

Recorda quantos desta vida tem passado,
Reflecte em que terás fim similhante,
Que para meditar causa he bastante
Terem todos mais nisto parado.

Pondera, que influido d'essa sorte,
Entre negociações do mundo tantas,
Tão pouco consideras na morte;

Porem, se os olhos aqui levantas,
Pára...porque em negocio deste porte,
Quanto mais tu parares, mais adiantas.<br0>

[edit] Images

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Évora

Capela dos ossos entrance

Capela dos ossos warning

Capela dos ossos

Youngest and oldest