Church of Bones

The Capela dos Ossos ("Chapel of Bones") is a church in the Portuguese town of Evora. In the 16th century, Evora had 43 cemeteries that took up an excessive amount of land. The decision was made to destroy some of these cemeteries, so the remains of 5,000 monks were dug up. A common theme of the time period was the inevitability and acceptance of death. The monks had been concerned about the societal values of the wealthy town of Evora, so rather than place the bones behind closed doors, the remains were put on display. This created a place of meditation where the undeniable reminder of death would help the citizens transcend the material world (The Bone Chapel of Portugal).

The corpses of a woman and child hang from a wall. No one knows who they were or why they are there, but rumor has it that a powerful man had cursed them. When they were refused burial in a cemetery, they received shelter in the chapel. The entrance reads "Nos ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos," which translates "We bones that are here, for your bones we wait." It is a blatant reminder of the equality of death, and that everyone will die one day.

Source: http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-bone-chapel-of-portugal-a-creepy-sacred-destination.html