Chapel of Bones

The chapel that awaits our bones

The message is "tetric", but not necessarily false: "Our bones rest here, waiting for yours", reads the famous sign at the entrance of the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of the Bones), one of the best known in the Alentejano municipality of Évora, in the neighbourhood of the same name, part of the religious complex of the São Francisco Church. The Chapel of Bones is an obligatory stop for anyone visiting this municipality, because, as its name suggests, it is entirely covered with bones - yes, real bones - all bound together with brown cement. It is estimated that around five thousand bones were used, including skulls, vertebrae, femurs and others from the cemeteries, which can be found in the town's churches and convents, in the walls, ceiling, columns and even outside the chapel.

An allegory of human life

It is a perfect example of so-called penitential architecture, which aims to remind people that life is ephemeral, that, in any case, the end of existence on earth is the same for everyone, despite the fact that Christian life is eternal. At least that was the aim of three Franciscan monks of the time, who were following the wave of religious counter-reformation influenced by the Council of Trent, and who went on to build this curious chapel. But the "unorthodox" construction of the Bones Chapel was not only motivated by spiritual reasons. At the time of its construction, in the 17th century, there were 42 monastic cemeteries in Évora, and it was necessary to free up some of the space they occupied to give other functions to the land on which they were located. And what better way to free up space in the cemeteries than to remove the bones from the graves and use them to decorate a chapel?

But the Bone Chapel is not just made of bones. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with frescoes dating from 1810, illustrating various symbols related to biblical passages, as well as others with the representation of the instruments of the Passion of Christ. At the exit you will also find an original tile panel by the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, which constitutes a counterpoint to the allusion of death to the miracle of life.

In 1910 the Chapel was designated a national monument, during 2014 and 2015 numerous restorations were carried out, with a bill that amounts to 3.5 million euros. 

Practical information

Opening hours of the bones-chapel

The Chapel of the Bones is open to the general public from 9am to 6.30pm (during the summer), and from 9am to 5pm (in winter). It is open every day except 1 January, Easter Sunday, 24 December in the afternoon and 25 December.

Entrance fee

- Individual ticket: €2.00

Access to the city of Évora

Évora is served by the A6 motorway, as well as by a railway station with a direct link to Lisbon, and to buses from all over the country.

Visit Évora

After visiting the Chapel of the Bones, it is also interesting to walk around the rest of the city of Évora, where you will find other interesting places such as the Roman temple, as well as the Garden of Diana, a perfect place to rest under the Alentejo sun and reflect on life, death and all the message that the Chapel of the Bones transmits.