Capela dos Ossos (Bones Chapel), Évora

Be surprised by the chilling Bones Chapel (Capela dos Ossos) of the Convent of São Francisco, in Évora, Portugal.

Capela dos Ossos (Bones Chapel)
© Celestino Manuel

Located in the Capela dos Ossos (Bones Chapel), the interior of this convent has a mournful and tragic atmosphere. This is one of the most extraordinary and garish monuments in Évora.

It was built in the late 16th century following Franciscan monks beliefs. These stated it was good to reflect upon human condition, its weak existence, and meditate about endless and eternal life.

Igreja de São Francisco Church
© Celestino Manuel

Its walls and pillars are sheathed by 5,000 skulls and thousands of bones buried on the city cemeteries. At the back of the room, there are two skeletons hanging from the wall.

The legend goes that a son was continuously mistreating his mother. The father was not avoiding it, so when she died she cursed them saying: “Let the ground of your burial not destroy you!”

Above the chapel door it is possible to read: “We, bones in here, wait for yours in there”.

The Convent of São Francisco was the first to be built by its order in Portugal. Its current construction was finished during D. Manuel’s reign. It is a great example of Late Gothic in the Alentejo, It also has one of the largest churches in the country, adorned by the best artists of that time.

More information:

Location:

Praça 1º de Maio, Évora.

Ticket Price:

General entrance: 5€.

Opening hours:

From 9h00 to 12h45 and from 14h30 to 17h40. Sundays opens at 10h00.

Telephone:

(+351) 266 704 521.

Mapa Interactivo:

Évora

What to see:

Other worth-visiting nearby towns and cities:

Why "Portugal Travel"?

Portugal Travel is an organization of Portuguese agencies whose objectives are:

✓ To make Portugal, its culture and its heritage known.
✓ To promote sustainable tourism.

In collaboration with:

Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril

Turismo de Portugal