Capela dos Ossos

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Close-up with skulls

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 Church of St. Francis.

It was build in the 16th century by a Franciscan monk who, in the Counter-Reformation spirit of that era, wanted to prod his fellow brothers into contemplation and transmit the message of life being transitory. This clearly shown 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 lugubrious chapel is formed by three spans of 18,70 meters in length and 11 meters width, the light enters through three small openings on the left. Its walls and eight pillars are "decorated" in a carefully arranged manner 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 of monks was calculated to be about 5000, coming from the overflowing cemeteries that were situated inside several dozen churches. Some of these skulls have been disrespectfully been scribbled upon with graffiti. Two desiccated corpses, one of which a child, dangle at a chain.

Sejam causa de seus tormentos.

[edit] Poem about existence (in old Portuguese)

Desiccated skeletons dangling at a chain

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] References

Turner, J. - Grove Dictionary of Art - MacMillan Publishers Ltd., 1996; ISBN 0-19-517068-7
The Rough Guide to Portugal - 11th edition March 2005 - ISBN 1-84353-438-X
Rentes de Carvalho J. - Portugal, um guia para amigos - In Dutch translation : Portugal - De Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam; ninth edition August 1999 ISBN 90-295-3466-4