Some people are horrified by this place, others are inspired by its philosophical message. Whatever you think of the Chapel of Bones in Evora, this attraction impresses everyone and sticks in the memory for a lifetime.

The shrine, located next to the Church of St. Francis, was built in the 16th century by an unknown monk. Despite its external uniqueness, it is not the only religious building of its kind. There are temples similar to the Chapel of Bones, that are also built from human remains, in other European cities. The most famous of them include the 15th-century Sedlec Ossuary near the Czech town of Kutna Hora and the 17th-century Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins at Via Veneto in Rome.

At the entrance, visitors are greeted by an inscription in Portuguese that means: "We bones that here are, for yours await". It is not written to scare visitors but to remind them that life is too short, and death awaits us all.

The chapel interior causes goosebumps and chills. Especially sensitive personalities cannot spend even a minute inside it. The interior is literally filled with the remains of about five thousand people. Bones and skulls almost completely cover the walls and columns of the temple. Furthermore, they are not arranged chaotically but are collected in decorative ornaments and patterns. The vaulted ceiling is painted with frescoes from 1810, the subjects of which continue to encourage visitors to reflect on life and death.

Despite the terrifying "decoration", the interior of the chapel looks picturesque, although it was not created for artistic purposes. The territories of more than forty monastic cemeteries in the vicinity of Evora had to be cleared for the construction of more important objects. The graves were excavated, the remains were sorted and cleaned and then used as decorations for the chapel.