【Too Scary? Experience the Art of Death at the Czech Bone Church】

By: Crystal Wong

Travelingin Europe,visiting various churches is almost a must-do on the itinerary. But atone church in the Czechsuburbs, visitors come not just to admire its architecture—they have an alternative pilgrimage purpose in mind.

The Sedlec Ossuary (Kostnice v Sedlci) is a small Roman Catholic chapel locatedin the CzechRepublic, within the Cemetery of All Saints on the outskirts of Kutná Hora. As the name suggests, this small chapel is dedicated to the display of human bones, with an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 skeletons housed here. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the area was hit by outbreaks of the Black Death and the Hussite Wars, which left numerous remains in the cemetery. To make room for new burials, the bones were moved into the chapel after its construction.

Though small in size, the chapel contains bones in abundance. As soon as you step inside, you’ll be greeted by tens of thousands of human bones presented in various forms. In addition to a bone tower and altar made from stacked skulls, there are numerous bone decorations: doorframes, arches, candlesticks, crosses... And most striking of all is the massive chandelier made of bones hanging right in the center of the chapel. The chandelier uses leg bones as its main frame, with other bones woven in for decoration, and features eight skulls serving as candle holders. Looking up, the suspended chandelier appears both sacred and eerie.

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