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The best independent guide to the Algarve
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The Capela dos Ossos (Bone Chapel) and Igreja do Carmo, Faro
The Capela dos Ossos in Faro is a macabre chapel located to the rear of the beautiful Igreja do Carmo church.
The chapel is the final resting place for over 1,250 skeletons, and the bones fill every available surface. Not only are the skeletons stored here, they also form the chapel’s decoration with ghoulish geometric patterns created with bones and skulls.
The bodies were exhumed in 1816 from the overcrowded cemeteries in Faro and the bones belong to the Carmelite monks who once served in the Carmo church. These long-dead monks stare down from every surface of the chapel at visitors; the Capela dos Ossos is truly one of the strangest and creepiest attractions of Faro.
Skulls form the decoration within the Capela dos Ossos
The Igreja do Carmo is as equally interesting, with an imposing baroque façade and a cooling interior of intricately carved altars. The Capela dos Ossos and Igreja do Carmo combine to form one of the best tourist attractions of Faro, and worthy of the short walk from the city centre.
This article will provide an image tour of the church and chapel, followed by tourist information.
Related articles: Faro introduction
An Image tour of the Igreja do Carmo and the Capela dos Ossos
The Igreja do Carmo is a twin bell tower church, which follows the 18th-century Baroque style of architecture. The church was originally constructed in 1719 but was severely damaged by the 1755 earthquake.
The church overlooks the Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square), with its distinctive calçada stone pathing.
There are many enjoyable paid activities in Faro, and some of the best offered by GetYourGuide.com include:
The interior of the Igreja do Carmo is lavished with gold leaf and intricately carved altars. The funding for the church came from the wealth (and gold) that was imported from Brazil.
The altar in the Igreja do Carmo
After paying the entrance fee and passing through the sacristy you enter the courtyard to the rear of the church. This was originally the graveyard where the bones were exhumed from.
There is an exterior bone altar, but unfortunately, all of the skulls and bones are badly damaged.
The Capela dos Ossos is housed in a small, white-washed extension to the main church.
The inscription above the entrance to the chapel reads:
“Pára aqui a considerar que a este estado hás-de chegar”
“Stop here and consider, that you will reach this state too”
The Capela dos Ossos is tiny, at only 2x4meters, but still contains 1,245 skulls
The bones and skulls line every surface of the chapel including the arched roof and pillars
Bones even form the altar.
If you decide to take photos within the Capela dos Ossos, please be respectful of the people who finally rest here.
Tourist information for the Chapel of Bones Faro
The Capela dos Ossos is situated in the rear courtyard of the Igreja do Carmo and is entered through the main church. As the access to the chapel is via the church, it means that the opening hours are limited by mass and service times.
The Bone Chapel is open Monday to Friday 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-17:30, on Saturday it is only open 10:00-13:00 and the chapel is closed all day Sunday. The entrance fee is €2.00, and a typical visit lasts around 20 minutes. During the summer the Capela dos Ossos will have a steady flow of tourists and can get quite busy.
The Igreja do Carmo is to the north of Faro, and is a 7-minute walk from the harbour and Jardim Manuel Bivar. The exact GPS coordinates of the Igreja do Carmo are 37.01997, -7.93471.
Further information about the Capela dos Ossos
For visitors today, the bone chapel may appear as a very creepy attraction, but it was common practice for bones to be exhumed from graves. This was often a necessity due to limited suitable space for burial, and after a period of ten years, the bones would be exhumed and placed in tombs.
The macabre atmosphere of the chapel is often lessened by the sound of children playing in the church’s crèche and nursery, which is located directly behind the chapel.
The monks whose bones line the chapel walls were from the Carmelite order of monks and their place of worship was the Igreja do Carmo (Carmo is the Portuguese for Carmel).
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