Temple of bones. Ossuary – church made of bones Czech Republic castle made of bones

Not all people know that there are special places in the world called ossuaries or ossuaries. These are places for storing skeletal remains. And today I will tell you about the ossuaries in the Czech Republic, which are among the largest in the world!

Ossuary in Kutna Hora

Ossuary in Sedlece (Kostnice v Sedlci)- a Gothic chapel in Sedlec, which is located on the outskirts of the Czech city Kutna Hora, decorated with human skulls and bones. It took about 40000 human skeletons.

Where, you ask, did so many bones and skulls appear in one place? And it’s simple, in 1827, a certain abbot from the city of Sedlice (near the Czech city of Kutna Hora) drove to the Holy Land and brought some earth from the town of Golgotha, which he scattered on the territory of the abbey. Naturally, people found out about this and wanted to be buried right here, in the Holy Land. Over time, the news spread throughout Central Europe, and people not only from Bohemia wanted to be buried here (I think this was not done for free). Naturally, there was not enough space for everyone, and considering that the plague and wars of that time claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, then something had to be done. In 1400, a Gothic cathedral with a tomb was built in the center of the cemetery. The tomb served as a kind of warehouse for bones and skulls, which began to be removed from the graves, but there was not enough space in the cemetery for everyone.

In 1784, the chapel and monastery were bought by the Schwarzenberg family, who owned such castles as Orlik nad Vltavou, and many others. Since this family had an economic streak, they hired a woodcarver, who began making crafts from bones and skulls, and thus an altar, chandeliers, garlands of skulls and other works of art appeared.

Every year, more than 250 thousand tourists come to see the ossuary. No one knows the exact number of bones here, but according to rumors, the bones of 40,000 people are kept here.

• Ossuary address: Zámecká 279, Kutna Hora
• How to get there? From the Kutná Hora-Sedlec train station you need to walk straight 300 meters and you will find yourself there. There is a direct train to Kutná Hora from Prague Main Station.
• Working hours: the ossuary is usually open from 9.00 to 16.00; it is better to find out the exact opening hours on the website. Do not believe those stories, for example from the program Eagle and Tails, that the ossuary is closed for reconstruction. The ossuary is open to visitors!
• Web site: Ossuary.eu
• from a reliable company at the best price.

In addition to this most popular ossuary in the Czech Republic, you can visit other places where a large number of skeletons and skulls are kept.

Ossuary in Brno

The crypt under St. James Square and partly under the Church of St. Jacob (Jacob) (Kostel svatého Jakuba Staršího) in the city of Brno is one of the largest ossuary repositories in Europe - more bones are stored only in the Parisian catacombs. To be more precise, more than 50,000 skeletons are stored here. Since 2012, the ossuary has been open to visitors. You can also visit the ossuary as part of the Brno Underground excursion, where you can walk through the labyrinths and underground city of Brno and learn about the rich underground history of the city.

• Ossuary address: Brno, Jakubské náměstí
• Working hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 9.00 to 18.00
• Web site: Ticbrno.cz

Ossuaries are not as pleasing to the eye as castles, but this does not reduce their artistic and historical value. For those who want to go on an alternative excursion, we have prepared a selection of the most visited ossuaries (or, as they are also called, “ossuaries”) in the Czech Republic.

TOP 5 most visited ossuaries in the Czech Republic

1. Ossuary in Sedlec, Kutna Hora: chandelier made of human bones

The unique ossuary under the Chapel of All Saints, located in the cemetery in Sedlec near the city of Kutna Hora, is decorated only with human bones. The remains of 40,000 people who died during the plague and the Hussite wars are kept here. The main attraction of the ossuary in Kutna Hora is a grandiose chandelier made from all types of bones of the human body. Here you can also see sculptures made of human shoulder blades and collarbones, as well as pyramids of skulls.

Schwarzenberg coat of arms made of bones

The 14th century chapel itself, in which the ossuary is located, is also of interest. At the beginning of the 18th century and in the second half of the 19th century, it underwent two restorations. During the last of them, remarkable decorations from human bones were created in the bone vault in Sedlec: a chandelier, a cross and the Schwarzenberg coat of arms. The author of all this was the master from Ceske Skalice, František Rint, who left his signature on the bones.

Address: Zámecká 284 03 Kutná Hora

Working hours: Monday - Sunday 08 - 18:00 from April to August; October, March - 09:00 - 17:00, November-February 09:00 - 16:00.

Tickets: 90 CZK full, 60 CZK reduced.

In July and August, on Mondays at 21:00, the Sedlec Ossuary offers night tours by candlelight only. The tour is led by a costumed guide and ends with a mini-concert of baroque music at the top of the church. The cost of a night excursion is 140 CZK (adults), 95 CZK - students, children under 6 years old are free.

Chandelier made of human bones

2. Ossuary in Brno under the Church of St. Yacouba: second largest in Europe

Archaeologists discovered the second largest (after Parisian) ossuary in Europe under the Church of St. Jakub in Brno only in 2001. The number of people buried here is 50 thousand! Anthropological studies have shown that victims of medieval plague and cholera epidemics are buried here, as well as those who died in the 30 Years' War and Swedish raids.

Cemetery near the Church of St. The Jakub Square on today's Jakub Square in Brno has existed since the 13th century. As the city grew, it gradually expanded. Over time, there was not enough space, and the city walls prevented the expansion of the cemetery area. Then a special burial system was introduced in Brno: 10-12 years after burial, the grave was opened, the remains were taken out, and a new deceased was buried in the same place, and the bones of the previous one were placed in ossuaries.

The ossuary in Brno is positioned not as a tourist attraction, but as an object of memory of the city. No more than 20 people are allowed on one excursion. They even composed original music especially for the ossuary to enhance the impression of the visit.

Together with the ossuary under the Church of St. Yakub, you can also visit the tomb of the monks, where there are more than 20 mummified bodies.

Church of St. Jakuba, Brno

Address: Jakubské náměstí 602 00 Brno

Working hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 9:30 - 18:00.

Tickets: 70 CZK, 140 CZK.

3. Ossuary in Melník in the oldest church in the Czech Republic

In the crypt of one of the oldest churches in the Czech Republic, located in the town of Melnik near Prague, there is also one of the largest ossuary repositories in the Czech Republic. Between 10 and 15 thousand people are buried in this Gothic ossuary. The bone depository operated near the cemetery at the church, which was in short supply during the plague epidemics. According to the inscriptions on the walls, the ossuary was used until 1775, when the cemetery was moved to the Church of St. Lyudmila. The bones here are arranged in the form of simple ornaments. The remains with traces of war injuries are collected in one place.

Church of St. Peter and Paul, in which the ossuary is located, was built at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries. The modern appearance of the church is a Gothic restoration of 1520. The 60-meter baroque tower of the church with an observation deck, which offers a beautiful view of Melnik, is also open to the public.

Church of St. Peter and Paul, Melnik

Address: Na Vyhlídce 18 276 01 Mělník

Working hours: Tuesday - Friday 09:30-12:30, 13:15 - 16:00, Saturday - Sunday 10:00 - 12:30, 13:15 - 16:00

Tickets: 20 CZK reduced, 30 CZK full

4. Baroque ossuary near the Church of St. Bartholomew in Kolin

An unusual Baroque ossuary in Kolin (50 km from Prague) with four semicircular altar projections was built in 1732-33. designed by an unknown architect who used early Gothic elements of city fortifications in the construction. Inside the ossuary there is a Baroque altar. The bones filling the apses come from the graves of the former St. Bartholomew's cemetery. Also here you can see symbols of city power, paintings and a marble plaque with the names of those who died from the plague epidemic in 1680. The bones for the four obelisks were brought here in 1850 from the cemetery near the Church of St. John the Baptist in Kutna Hora.

The ossuary in Kolin is located near the Church of St. Bartholomew. In front of it are early Baroque sculptures of St. Vojtech and St. Prokop, which previously decorated the Church of St. Vita na Zalabi. You can visit the ossuary as part of a tour of the Church of St. Bartholomew.

Address: Brandlova 25 280 02 Kolín

Working hours: Saturday 10:00 - 16:00, Sunday 13:00 - 16:00.

Tickets: 20 CZK reduced, 40 CZK full.

Church of St. Bartholomew, Colin

5. Ossuary in Nizhkov: a skull that brings happiness

12 km southwest of Zdar nad Sazavou you can visit another unique historical ossuary. This is the ossuary in Nizhkov from 1709. The reason for the creation of the ossuary was also the limited area of ​​the local cemetery.

The ossuary in Nizhkov is interesting because, with the exception of minor restorations, it looks exactly the same as it did several centuries ago. There are four pyramids of bones here, rising almost to the ceiling. According to archaeologists, 6-8 thousand people are buried here. Thanks to local climatic conditions, the folded bones and bleached skulls were preserved in excellent condition.

One of the skulls in the ossuary is polished by numerous touches of the hands of visitors. The long scar on it shows that the skull was once cut in battle, but later knitted back together. There is a belief that if you touch this skull, it will bring happiness for life.

To visit the ossuary in Nizhkov, you must first register for the tour. Admission is free, but it is customary to bring small gifts for the owner of the ossuary - the local Roman Catholic parish, which can be placed in the donor's box.

Address: 592 12 Nižkov

Website: nizkov.cz, email. mail: [email protected]

The article uses photographs from kudyznudy.cz, ceckatelevize.cz

An amazing and terrifying architectural monument, created specifically to remind us of death, is world famous under the name Kostnica, Czech Republic. Decorations, inscription letters, pyramids, a chandelier - everything here is made from a truly unusual material, from human bones. The Church of Bones contains the remains of 40,000 people.

This unusual church is located near the town of Kutna Hora, approximately 70 kilometers from the capital of the Czech Republic. Now it is a small town, but once, thanks to silver deposits, it was practically a second Prague and, moreover, the main financial center of the entire country. But Kutna Hora was not destined to either eclipse or even catch up with the capital. The reason for this was the plague and religious wars, and over time, depleted reserves of silver. I doubt that any of the predecessors could have imagined that Kutna Hora would become famous because the world-famous ossuary (ossuary) is located here. The Czech Republic, in turn, will become a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of tourists who want to see a cemetery in the shape of a church.

Its history dates back to 1278. Then the Polish king Otakar II sent the Abbot of Siedlce on a diplomatic mission to Jerusalem. Upon his return, the abbot scattered the brought earth (a small handful) over the monastery cemetery. This event gave the cemetery the title of Holy Land and, not surprisingly, increased the popularity of this place among noble families throughout the Czech Republic and surrounding countries. Accordingly, the cemetery grew rapidly. Soon it reached a size of four hectares. After some time, rumors began to circulate that martyrs and people who died in the name of faith were buried here.

In 1218, the plague spread throughout Europe, cemeteries could not accommodate the huge number of dead, so secondary burial was actively practiced, when old bones were put in chapels (they were called “ossuaries”), and in place of the old bones, the dead were buried again. The land in the cemetery was resold more than six times, and as a result, the remains of actually 40,000 people were collected on the site of the Sedlec Monastery ossuary. In 1511, a half-blind monk, having bleached all the bones, began to stack them into six pyramids. Each pyramid was 2-3 meters high. When the monk died, the pyramids were not destroyed, but the church made of bones was closed for 350 years.

In the 18th century, Prince Schwarzenberg, who then owned the monastery land, ordered the creation of what people later called the “church of bones.” This unusual case was entrusted to the care of a local woodcarver, whose name was František Rint. He soaked the bones in bleach and gradually created his creations. One of the most unusual was a chandelier, where the master used absolutely all parts of the human skeleton - from the phalanx of the fingers to the coccygeal bones. In gratitude to his employer, Rint also made the Schwarzenberg coat of arms out of bones.

Often the Kostnica-Czech Republic route is chosen by gold-mining tourists. What is the reason? In the 16th century, monks found a treasure under one of the pyramids. It was never possible to find out its origin. It seems like it came out of nowhere. That is why the brothers attributed the discovery to divine intervention.

It is difficult to find a more striking and tragic work than a church made of bones. The Czech Republic annually welcomes thousands of guests from all over the world who want to see a unique creation of human hands. The ossuary in the Czech Republic is a kind of reminder of the frailty of all things and the coming apocalypse, the transience of human life and the day of judgment.

70 kilometers from the capital of the Czech Republic is the small town of Kutna Hora. It is famous for its medieval Gothic church, which is one of the darkest and most frightening shrines in Central Europe. The basilica is a world-famous crypt, the unusual interior of which is decorated with human bones. Kostinets is filled with a chilling atmosphere. The remains of hundreds of thousands of people in the dimly lit room form decorative elements that represent a horrifying work of bone art. A visit to this place makes you think about human values, the transience of life and the inevitability of death.

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In Kutna Hora there is a small church with a ossuary. This distinctive Gothic tomb is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The church earned its honorary status thanks to its amazing decoration, for the design of which materials of natural origin, which were human remains, were used. The tragic style of decoration attracts millions of tourists. In other countries and cities you can also find similar attractions, but on a smaller scale. Only in the Czech Republic there is the only church in the world where a huge number of objects made from human bones are collected.

Hip, tibia, and humerus bones, ribs, vertebrae, and skulls adorn the walls and ceiling of the basilica. Chandeliers, crosses, bowls, vases, candelabra, garlands and other parts of church utensils are made from the skeletons of more than 50,000 bodies. Most of the bones date back to 1318, when the Czech Republic was struck by plague.

History of creation

The Roman Catholic church was part of the Sedlec monastery, founded in 1142. The chapel was erected in the 14th century not far from the cemetery, the territory of which subsequently rapidly expanded. This was facilitated by the abbot of the monastery, who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Upon his return, he brought to his native monastery a handful of earth from the hill where Jesus Christ was crucified. The abbot scattered holy soil over the cemetery, after which the burial place gained fame among the aristocrats of Bohemia, who preferred sacred ground for their resting place.

At the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, when the Czech Republic was hit by a plague epidemic and religious strife flared up, the territory of the cemetery expanded significantly. Disease and wars led to many deaths. More than 40,000 people were buried here, resulting in a shortage of places for new burials. The monastery leadership decided to remove the old bones and move them to the basement of the chapel. Human remains were carefully placed in a special storage facility called a crypt. According to legend, a half-blind monk artistically built six large pyramids from bones, four of which can still be seen in the church. After this, the abbot’s sight allegedly returned.

In 1784, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, Joseph II, ordered the closure of Siedlce Abbey and cemetery. The church and the adjacent territory of the monastery became the property of the aristocratic family of the princes of Schwarzenberg, who were at that time large landowners in Bohemia. The new owner was not impressed by the church's property in the form of a mountain of skulls and bones. He hired local woodcarver František Rint to create decorative elements for the chapel from a pile of skeletons.

The prince was not worried that the eccentric basilica would be a symbol of blasphemous mockery of the remains of human bodies and an insult to Christian rituals. At that time, one of his relatives was an Austro-Hungarian cardinal, so approval from church leaders was ensured. Soon, many residents of the Bohemian kingdom began to consider the ossuary a sacred place. They believed that the people whose bones decorate the interior of the chapel would be the first to be resurrected on Judgment Day. The result of Frantisek Rinat's work exceeded all expectations.

After polishing and disinfecting with bleach, Rint skillfully set about transforming the bones into works of art for the church's interior. The artist made intricate figures from bones, including four chandeliers, a huge chalice, a decorative chain of dozens of skulls and much more. As a sign of gratitude to his patrons, Frantisek Rint decorated one of the walls of the chapel with the Schwarzenberg family coat of arms. Many small details of the bone composition reproduced elements of the princely emblem.

Rint's works have been preserved in almost their original form. In the 21st century, the chapel building and bone decorations required restoration work. The building sank dangerously, and dampness constantly accumulated in the basements of the crypt. Restoration efforts began in 2014 and continue to this day. However, despite the renovation, the ossuary remains open to tourists.

Description

The church is a typical example of the Baroque-Gothic architectural style. The basilica, with its simple structure and strict lines, is quite inconspicuous in appearance. The building's modest stone façade with arched windows is topped by two hexagonal towers. Between them there is a pediment with a statue of the Virgin Mary. The small church is visually lengthened by the extension in front of the entrance.

The decoration of the Ossuary is of greatest interest. The basement of the chapel is located at a depth of three meters. In the prevailing coolness and darkness of the lower tier of the church, four giant mounds of bones are stacked in the shape of a bell with a hole for ventilation in the middle. Above each three-meter mounds hang wooden crowns, representing the symbol of victory over death. Up close, these “hills” look especially intimidating.

Between the vaulted ceiling and the arches of the main hall there is a garland of leg bones and skulls. In the center of the chapel there are four pyramidal columns framed by skulls. On top of them are small plaster cherubs (angels) with golden wings. Thus, a strange contrast is formed in a rather ominous atmosphere. In the niches of the basilica walls, lined with crossed bones, goblets, vases, glasses and candelabra are placed. Thousands of small fragments of the human skeleton were used to create church objects.

The main altar of the temple consists of a small brick pedestal on which stands a cross with the crucified Jesus. The bowls and crosses placed along the walls are made of hip bones. You can pay attention to the glass cabinets with skulls that have cracks. The damage indicates a violent nature of death.

The most outstanding feature of the church's interior is the grandiose central chandelier, consisting of all the bones of the human body. Its diameter is more than two meters. Candlesticks stand on snow-white skulls, “looking” at the brave visitors to the ossuary. The chandelier is suspended from the ceiling on a chain, the links of which are made of jaws. Below it is a stone slab that serves as the entrance to the crypt where 15 nobles are buried. On one of the walls of the church you can see the autograph of the main artist who designed the interior of the temple. As befits the style of this church, the initials are made of bone materials.

Above the entrance to the chapel you can see an inscription in Latin made from fragments of human bones. It denotes parting words addressed to visitors to the ossuary: “We were you, and soon you will be us.”

One of the most amazing and extraordinary monuments of world architecture is the Ossuary in the Czech Republic. This structure was erected over several centuries in order to remind all of humanity how terrible and terrible death is. Of course, the frame of the building itself is made of more durable building materials, but the arches, portals, decorations, inscriptions, as well as the famous chandelier included the bones of more than 40 thousand people.

The ossuary in the Czech Republic is now located in a town located 70 kilometers from Prague. In ancient times, this village was built on a silver deposit, and therefore was a major economic and commercial center of the country. Later, these treasures were exhausted here, and the city itself was covered by a wave of plague. This was followed by armed uprisings and wars that finally destroyed the former financial center of the state, and Kutna Hora became just a small province. However, the same notorious Ossuary still glorifies it.

The 13th century was a terrible time. People died in large numbers, and as a result, cemeteries grew across uninhabited areas at enormous speed. Soon, secondary burials began to be practiced in the country, and those bones that had already spent many years in the ground were taken out and placed in the local Sedlec monastery, which served as a chapel at the cemetery. By the 14th century, the bones of more than 40 thousand people had collected in this place, and one of the monks decided to bleach them. Gradually clearing out each bone, he stacked them into pyramids, which eventually turned out to be 6 pieces, each several meters long. After the death of this monk, the Sedlec Monastery was closed for 350 years.

The Ossuary itself in the Czech Republic was born in the 18th century, when a certain F. Rint carved a real work of art from all these human remains. Its technology still remains secret, but the wonders of this non-standard art form delight the eye and inspire philosophical reflection. It is also known that everyone who enters this church will remember the terrible beauty for the rest of their lives.

The ossuary in the Czech Republic includes absolutely all parts of the human skeleton. The oblong ones became the basis for the coat of arms and crown, skulls decorated the portals and arches. But the greatest delight is caused by the huge chandelier, in which the master placed bones of all kinds: both phalanges and twisted coccyxes. It is worth noting that this cathedral is very large, and despite this, each of its cells, each hall and passage is equipped with patterns and hand-cutting from this material. That is why the Ossuary in the Czech Republic is considered a temple, an example of the severity of Medieval architecture and the horror that a human skeleton can instill in the soul.

Photos of this work of art, as well as its most outstanding parts, are presented in the article, and before traveling to this country, you can appreciate the greatness and horror that lurk in this place. Finally, it is worth noting that, despite the huge number of human remains concentrated in one place, there are still no legends about possible ghosts and spirits living here.