Chapel of Bones - Evora, Portugal

Where are you going in such a hurry traveler?

Stop … do not proceed;

You have no greater concern,

Than this one: that on which you focus your sight.

Recall how many have passed from this world,

Reflect on your similar end,

There is good reason to reflect

If only all did the same.

Ponder, you so influenced by fate,

Among all the many concerns of the world,

So little do you reflect on death;

If by chance you glance at this place,

Stop … for the sake of your journey,

The more you pause, the further on your journey you will be.

by Father António da Ascenção (translation by Fr. Carlos A. Martins, CC)

My travels to Evora, Portugal last month were inspired by an entry in my page-a-day calendar, which highlights travel destinations. Throughout the year, I stockpile items of interest and use them as an added dose of inspiration when I am in travel planning mode. I was delighted to discover that Evora’s close proximity to Lisbon warranted a place on my agenda.

Boasting of an imposing Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral and substantial ruins of a Roman temple, the walled city of Evora is well worth the hour and a half bus ride from Lisbon. But it is the peculiar and somewhat creepy Chapel of Bones that made this destination irresistible to me.

Capela dos Ossos, also known as the Chapel of Bones, was created by Franciscan monks in the late 16th century. When faced with the dilemma of relocating 5,000 bones and skulls that were displaced with the closure of 40 odd monastic cemeteries, the Franciscan monks were inspired by this unique opportunity to create the Chapel of Bones. The Chapel of Bones was built as a dramatic representation of man’s inherent struggle with his own mortality. Various poems, like the one outlined above, are situated throughout the chapel to encourage contemplation in regard to the often taboo subject of death.

The Latin inscription, “We, the bones that are here, await yours” greets visitors as they cross beneath the marble archway into the petite dimly lit chapel. Once inside, the walls and pillars of the chapel are peppered with artistically stacked bones and skulls. The eerie ambiance of the chapel invites reflection and unexpectedly projects an aura of tranquility.

If you are able to visit the chapel during the off season, you may be fortunate enough to have the place to yourself as I did last month!