Attraction Guide: Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church), Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church) Guide

Art from Ashes: The Haunting Beauty of the Sedlec Ossuary Guide

The Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the Bone Church, is one of the most unique and macabre attractions in the Czech Republic. Located in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora, this small Roman Catholic chapel is decorated with the bones of approximately 40,000 to 70,000 people. It's a truly unforgettable and thought-provoking experience that blends art, history, and mortality. The story of the Sedlec Ossuary began in the 13th century when the abbot of the Sedlec Monastery brought back soil from Golgotha (the site of Jesus' crucifixion) and sprinkled it on the cemetery. This made the cemetery a highly desirable burial site, and thousands were buried there during the Black Death and the Hussite Wars. In the 15th century, a half-blind monk was tasked with exhuming the skeletons and stacking the bones. However, it wasn't until 1870 that František Rint, a woodcarver, was commissioned to artistically arrange the bones, resulting in the ossuary's current, hauntingly beautiful form. Visitors to the Sedlec Ossuary can marvel at the intricate bone chandeliers, the coat-of-arms of the Schwarzenberg family (also made of bones), and the pyramids of skulls and femurs. The experience is both unsettling and strangely beautiful, prompting reflection on life, death, and the human condition. While there isn't a specific culinary tradition associated with the ossuary itself, the nearby town of Kutná Hora offers a variety of traditional Czech restaurants where you can enjoy a meal after your visit.