Capela dos Ossos

Name: Capela dos Ossos
Address: Largo Dr. Regala, Campo Maior 7370-047 Portugal, Badajoz, Spain
Rating: 3.7

3.7

(54 reviews)

Largo Dr. Regala, Campo Maior 7370-047 Portugal

Official website

Religious Sites

Sights & Landmarks

Attraction

About

The Chapel of Bones in Campo Maior is one of the most significant and original examples of Christian funerary art in Portugal, due to its unique aesthetics. Little is known about the construction of the Chapel of Bones itself, which was probably promoted by the Confraternity of Souls of Campo Maior around 1766. This chapel is deeply linked to an unavoidable historical episode: the explosion of the castle's armoury due to a lightning strike, after which half the town was destroyed, with 316 dead and around 2,000 injured according to local records. Popular legend has it that the chapel was decorated with the bones of the dead from that explosion. The restoration process and the anthropological and archaeological study revealed that the bones inside the chapel show no signs of violent impact, which means that this legend has no sustainable basis.

At a glance

Typical visit: about 30 minutes