Today we visited Capella dos Ossos or the Bone Chapel at the town of Evora in central Portugal.
The chapel is used to store as part of the walls, 5000 human bones that were removed from the nearby graveyard to make extra room.
The Franciscan belief is the body is only a transitory stage and does not see the bones as anything but remains.
Over the entrance are the words ‘We the bones wait for yours’.
They also had two desiccated corpses in glass cases that until recently hung by chains from the wall. One is that of a child.
In some ways the restoration of the chapel that took place in 2012 went a little too far and everything looked almost new. The corpses should still be on the wall just like they have been for many centuries.
The chapel is part of a Franciscan convent. They have lots of religious art displayed all dedicated to the saints associated with the convent.
St Francis.
St Claire.
St George.
After visiting the chapel we moved around the city walls and under the Roman Aquaduct to the ‘Temple of Diana’. Bit disappointing as it is hidden behind scaffolding and covers.