The Macabre Sculptures Within The Bone Church

Published August 19, 2014
Updated June 7, 2018

Four gigantic, bell-shaped mounds occupy the chapel’s corners. These mounds consist of thousands of expertly stacked bones and skulls, all of which are held together like a puzzle -without any construction or support structure holding them in their place.

Bone Church Bell Mound

Source: Rough Guides

Other sculptures include piers and monstrances flanking the altar. (A monstrance is the vessel used in Roman Catholic churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic host during communion services.) The statue of Christ on the cross is illuminated by both candles and artificial lights, and almost seems out of place among the masses of strewn skeletal remains.

Bone Church Make A Wish

Source: Wikipedia

There are numerous seemingly random arrangements of bones throughout the ossuary. Some have other props added in with them such as doll parts, doll heads, and fake snakes. Columns of wood and silver are further adorned with skulls and decorative scarabs. The grisly monuments come in every size and a multitude of shapes. The musty smell of ancient death surrounds everything, adding another layer to the overall unsettling feel. When creating his works of macabre art, it is clear to see that Frantisek Rint devoted absolutely no time to the thought of keeping the bones of any individual intact, much less documenting the remains of any of the tens of thousands of individuals who reside under the church.

Bone Church Snake Eyes

Source: Blogspot

Many places around the world purport being haunted by one sort of spirit or another, but there are few that would have as much cause for supernatural activity as the Sedlec Ossuary does. That being said, the place is not often associated with or generally thought of as being haunted. Thankfully, it seems like the residents of this particular crypt are truly resting in peace.

Bone Church Skull Biter

Source: Flickr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y258YjexWys


Next, check out these photos of the world’s biggest crypt, the Paris catacombs.

author
Erin Kelly
author
An All That's Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and she's designed several book covers in her career as a graphic artist.
editor
Katie Serena
editor
A former staff writer at All That's Interesting, Katie Serena has also published work in Salon.