The Skull Church: 5 Incredible Images From The Sedlec Ossuary

The Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic is home to the skeletons of some 40,000 human beings, most of which were victims of the bubonic plague in 1318 and the Hussite Wars in the 15th century.

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Source: Wikimedia

The church is decorated with dismembered, de-fleshed, and reassembled skeletons, rearranged into incredible works of art. The images of the church are as haunting as they are strikingly beautiful.

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Source: Wikipedia

The Skull Church has a history as haunting and disturbing as the bone art it decorates its walls with. The skeletons are said to have originally been buried at the church cemetery, which was closed at the end of the 15th century. The bones were then dug up and moved inside the church, where they were arranged into pyramids.

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Source: Wikimedia

In 1870, local wood carver Franti?ek Rint of ?esk? Skalice artfully arranged the bones and skulls into the incredible decorations we see today. In order to cultivate a uniform look for his creations, Rint carefully bleached each skull until they all reached the same color.

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Source: Wikimedia

Inside the Sedlec Ossuary are two large chalices, four baroque candelabras, six pyramids, and candleholders?all made with human bone.

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Source: Flickr

The small Roman Catholic chapel is located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, and is open to visitors, tourists, and guests. The ossuary offers guided tours for those looking to learn a little more about skull church, and is certainly one of the most unique, and popular, tourist attractions in the Czech Republic.