The Sedlec Ossuary, commonly known as Kostnice in Czech, is a small Roman Catholic chapel located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. Read more
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The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, whose bones have been artistically arranged to form unique decorations and furnishings for the chapel. This one-of-a-kind place of worship attracts tourists and visitors intrigued by its eerie, yet oddly beautiful, interiors.
Kostnice, or the Sedlec Ossuary, is not just another tourist destination but a hauntingly beautiful and unique historical site. For those fascinated by the intersections of history, art, and spirituality, a visit to this extraordinary chapel is an experience that lingers long after one leaves its hallowed, and bone-lined, walls.
The bones were originally gathered during the 13th to 15th centuries, and were arranged decoratively in the 19th century by a woodcarver named František Rint. The ossuary was created as a response to the overwhelming number of bodies that needed to be buried on consecrated ground, particularly after the Black Death and the Hussite Wars. Today, it serves as a macabre reminder of human mortality while simultaneously being a unique form of art.
Perhaps the most famous artifact in the ossuary is a large chandelier that contains at least one of every bone in the human body.
One wall of the chapel features the Schwarzenberg family coat of arms, made entirely from human bones.
Four large, bell-shaped mounds of bones are stacked in the corners of the chapel, each containing thousands of skulls and long bones.
In addition to the bone structures, the chapel features other baroque elements such as gold furnishings and beautiful frescoes.
The entrance of the ossuary carries a solemn inscription that reminds visitors of the transience of human life and the inevitability of death.
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