Brno Ossuary holds the remains of over 50 thousand people
Brno OssuaryĀ is an undergroundĀ ossuaryĀ inĀ Brno,Ā Czech Republic. It was rediscovered in 2001 in the historical centre of the city, partially under theĀ Church of St. James.Ā It is estimated that the ossuary holds the…
San Bernardino alle Ossa, Milan
San Bernardino alle Ossa is a church in Milan, northern Italy, best known for its ossuary, a small side chapel decorated with numerous human skulls and bones. In 1210, when an adjacent cemetery…
Catacombs of Lima, Peru
TheĀ Catacombs of LimaĀ (Spanish:Ā Catacumbas de Lima) are undergroundĀ ossuariesĀ in theĀ historic centreĀ ofĀ Lima,Ā Peru. TheĀ catacombsĀ were built under theĀ Basilica and Convent of San FranciscoĀ and currently function as aĀ museum. History In 1546, theĀ Franciscan orderĀ began construction of theĀ Basilica…
AnĀ arcosolium is an arched recess used as a place of entombment
AnĀ arcosolium, pluralĀ arcosolia, is an arched recess used as a place of entombment. The word is from LatinĀ arcus, “arch”, andĀ solium, “throne” (literally “place of state”) or post-classical “sarcophagus“.[dubiousĀ āĀ discuss] Early arcosolia were carved…
Chapel of Bones (Faro, Portugal)
The Capela dos Ossos (English: Chapel of Bones) is an ossuary chapel in Faro, Portugal, which belongs to the 18th century Carmelite church Nossa Senhora do Carmo. Above the entrance, there is the following inscription: PĆ”ra aqui a considerar…
TheĀ Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo
The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (also Catacombe dei Cappuccini or Catacombs of the Capuchins) are burial catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Today they provide a somewhat macabre tourist attraction as well as an extraordinary historical record. Historical background Palermo’s Capuchin monastery outgrew its original cemetery in…
TheĀ Sedlec Ossuary (Czech Republic)
TheĀ Sedlec OssuaryĀ (Czech:Ā Kostnice v Sedlci;Ā German:Ā Sedletz-Beinhaus) is aĀ Roman CatholicĀ chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints (Czech:Ā HÅbitovnĆ kostel VÅ”ech SvatĆ½ch), part of the formerĀ Sedlec AbbeyĀ in Sedlec, a suburb ofĀ KutnĆ” HoraĀ in theĀ Czech…
Chapel of Bones is one of the best-known monuments in Ćvora, Portugal
TheĀ Capela dos OssosĀ (English: Chapel of Bones) is one of the best-known monuments inĀ Ćvora, Portugal. It is a small interior chapel located next to the entrance of theĀ Church of St. Francis.…
Skull ChapelĀ or St. Bartholomew’s Church is a mass grave in Poland
TheĀ Skull ChapelĀ (Polish:Ā Kaplica Czaszek) or St. Bartholomew’s Church,Ā is anĀ ossuaryĀ chapel located in the Czermna district ofĀ Kudowa-ZdrĆ³j,Ā Poland. Built inĀ BaroqueĀ style in the last quarter of the 18th century, the temple serves as aĀ mass graveĀ with…
Ossuary
AnĀ ossuaryĀ is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of humanĀ skeletalĀ remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is…
Kist or Cist and Kistivan
AĀ kistvaenĀ orĀ cistvaenĀ is aĀ tombĀ orĀ burial chamberĀ formed from flat stone slabs in a box-like shape. If set completely underground, it may be covered by aĀ tumulus.Ā The word is derived from theĀ WelshĀ cistĀ (chest) andĀ maenĀ (stone). The term originated…
Passage graves – neolithic luxury condos for the dead
Imagine you’re a Neolithic farmer with a flair for architecture and a penchant for dramatic burials. What do you build? A passage grave, of course! These stone-age structures are the…
