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In case you ever need to reflect more deeply on the transient nature of life, the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) in Évora is the place for you. Here's one story of why and how the chapel was embellished in this manner:
In the 1700s nearby cemeteries were getting too full and Franciscan monks decided to exhume a few thousand corpses and decorate their new chapel with the bones. Why? Did they get tired of azulejos? Is it an early example of recycling? Did they foresee a future tourist attraction? An early carneval 'spook house'? The sign that greets you as you enter says: |