Ossuary
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The skull and bone chandelier at the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora, the Czech Republic. |
Pevsner’s Architectural Glossary (second edition) was published by Yale University Press in 2018. It defines an ossuary as: ‘A building or chamber in which human bones are preserved, usually after removal from churchyard burials’.
In some instances, the bones and skulls in the ossuary are arranged into elaborate formations that are purely decorative or relay messages. In other instances, the bones are arranged and dressed to depict scenes or used to create structural components (such as burial altars or chandeliers) within the room.
Some noteworthy examples of ossuaries include:
- Capela dos Ossos, Evora, Portugal (5,000 people).
- Catacombs of Paris, (six million people).
- Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, Rome, Italy (4,000 people).
- Sedlec Ossuary, Kutná Hora, Czech Republic (between 40,000 and 70,000 people).
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