Sedlec Ossuary

The Sedlec Ossuary is located in a suburb of Kutná Hora and is not your average chapel. 

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, it is estimated that this Ossuary houses the skeletons of between 40,000 to 70,000 people. During the Black Death of the 14th century and after the Hussite Wars in the 15th century, thousands of were buried in the abbey from across Central Europe. Due to the increasing number of bodies, the abbey had to be expanded. In 1400, a Gothic church was built and this ossuary was built within it to house the bodies which were unearthed during the chapel's construction.

What separates this ossuary from others like the catacombs of Paris is that many of the bones from the ossuary have been creepily artistically arranged around the chapel. In 1870, local woodcarver Frantisek Rint was given the task of taking the stacked rows of bones and making them into a sacred space.

The ossuary is adorned with garland of skulls and bone crests. One of the most impressive features of the chapel is the giant bone chandelier in the middle of the room which was constructed using every bone in the human body. While the ossuary is a very overwhelming place to explore, it is truly a sight to behold. 

To be aware before you go: In recent years, due to vandalism and general lack of respect for the sacred site, photography of any sort is prohibited and in order to take photos, you must have permission 3 days in advance from the parish. The photos I took were taken in 2018, prior to the new rules.