Faro is the southernmost town in all of Portugal and is home to some beautiful beaches, history and beautiful churches. We didn’t have much of anything planned for our two days in Faro, knowing we could ask our guesthouse host for tips. The thing that caught our attention was the Bone Chapel in Faro, Capela dos Ossos. As soon as we heard the words Bone Chapel, we were in.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE BONE CHAPEL IN FARO:
⋙ COST: The entrance to Nossa Senhora do Carmo is only €2 per person and includes the Bone Chapel as well.
⋙ OPENING HOURS: Mon-Fri 10 – 1 and 3 – 5:30 (closed for siesta, of course) and Sat 10 – 1.
⋙ MINIMUM VISIT TIME: I would say you should allow at least 25-30 minutes to explore the main church and the Bone Chapel. If you’re pressed for time, it’s an easy stop to fit into a day of exploring.
WHERE IS THE BONE CHAPEL?
The bone chapel in Faro is actually just a small part of a larger church, Nossa Senhora do Carmo. The exterior of Nossa Senhora do Carmo is done in a baroque style and I love the little pops of yellow around the upper windows. The church was completed in the earth 1700’s and the facade wasn’t completed until after the infamous 1755 earthquake. Although the facade is simple, it’s still stunning. This church sits in Faro’s Old Town and is walkable from most places in the Old Town area and harbor.
The inside of Igreja de Nossa is beautifully gilded and decorated. There are intricate carvings all through the chapel and the organ is super stunning. Many cathedrals and churches in Europe have amazing murals across the ceiling. This church doesn’t have that, but that’s probably for the best because it allows you to really take in the amazing altars inside.
Continue through this church out to the back garden to find the Capela dos Ossos – the bone chapel.
ABOUT THE BONE CHAPEL IN FARO
This chapel isn’t quite as old as Igreja de Nossa, it was completed in 1816. However, it’s certainly more unique. The chapel was constructed from the bones of over 1,000 monks. If you look closely at the photos, you’ll be able to see that it was constructed with mortar and femurs. Then, in addition to the actual construction, the chapel is decorated with over 1,200 skulls, symmetrically placed throughout the chapel. The burgundy lines across the chapel oddly compliment the bones.
Over the door there’s a sign that says “Pára aqui a considerar que a este estado hás-de chegar” which translates roughly to ‘stop and consider that this state will befall us all’. Entering the Bone Chapel in Faro made both Matt and me both feel a bit eerie. It seems to be such an odd way to display remains or pay respect to someone who has passed. However, in the 18th century, this was an amazing form of respect for monks.
I think the thing that made the chapel extra-creepy was the fact that there were holes were skulls used to be. I don’t know if the skulls cracked or simply fell out over time. However, I do know that Matt and I both agreed that having a skull fall on us would probably scar us for life.
If you walk straight out the front door, you’ll find a small outdoor chapel which is also made of bones. (You can see it from the window in the above photo.) Unfortunately, it has been greatly damaged from the elements, but it’s still interesting to note.
Although this wasn’t one of the stops we had planned for Portugal, it was something totally unique and unlike anything we had ever seen before. Have you ever visited a bone chapel?
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14 Comments
ostendnomadography
June 17, 2018 at 10:09 amReally impressive. Thanks for sharing with us. Gr Stef
Dale
June 17, 2018 at 6:57 pmLove the Bone Chapel…. fascinating!
Clazz - An Orcadian Abroad
June 18, 2018 at 10:13 pmI think this was my favourite thing in Faro, too! And the church itself is AMAZING as well!
jasonlikestotravel
June 23, 2018 at 12:17 pmI’ve never heard of this but it’ll be going on my list! What a weird place!
Tamara Elliott
June 30, 2018 at 5:31 pmWhat??? NOOOO I wish I’d known about this before I went to the Algarve last summer- would have totally gone to see this!
Annemarie
June 30, 2018 at 5:36 pmIt’s so creepy but I’d still wanna visit. It’s now on my list together with the catacombs in Italy.
Sandy N Vyjay
July 1, 2018 at 10:35 amI have read and heard a lot about the bone chapel of Faro. It always does gives an eerie feeling when reading about it. But I am really impresses and fascinated by the philosophy behind it. This is reflected in the words written in the chapel, that this is the fate that awaits all. It is indeed a reminder of the ephemeral nature of life. Something that is really humbling and designed to deflate our inflated egos!
carrie
July 1, 2018 at 4:15 pmSuper weird. I had no idea that using bones for construction was considered a sign of respect! When I saw your first few photos, I was like, ‘okay, another elaborate church in Europe, what else is new,” but using the femurs and skulls to build those chapels is definitely something different.
Elaine Masters
July 2, 2018 at 8:21 pmI’d freak too if a skull fell out of the ceiling! Thanks for showing the incredible church as well. Those altars! I agree with you that they didn’t need the ceiling embellishment. Can’t wait till I get to Portugal.
Sara
July 3, 2018 at 1:59 amThe Bone Chapel would have caught my attention to for a visit. How gorgeously ornate is the interior of Igreja de Nossa. I don’t think it needs murals with those alters! They are amazing.
I was quite surprised how systematic the Bone Chapel is inside. I was half expecting just piles or stacks of bones. The design is quite incredible and very precise.
LDH Is TravelAtWill
July 3, 2018 at 8:16 pmWe spent 4 weeks in Portugal and we did not make it to Faro. Now I have more to add to my list of things to see when we return to Portugal. And we will. The Bone Chapel sounds interesting. We have visited other bone churches as we travelled. The inside of the church looks beautiful. The bone chapel seems fascinating. I expected to see bones, but 1200 skulls! I agree that having a skull fall on me would freak me out.
sherianne
July 3, 2018 at 10:04 pmThis is so interesting, I can’t imagine designing this and the amount of time it must have took to create it. I’m with you, it would creep me out if a scull fell on me!
Vicky and Buddy
July 3, 2018 at 10:17 pmWow, how creepy but totally cool at the same time! The church itself is beautiful. Like you, I really like the pop of yellow. And I think it’s ok that the inside didn’t have crazy murals; it would have been too much in my opinion. The inside is already so intricate! The Bone Chapel itself is just crazy to look at. I like the symmetry of it, but it’s definitely a little weird to just be staring at skulls.
Ami Bhat
July 5, 2018 at 1:30 amSo so unusual. And a bit eerie too. Bones of monks. And while I admit that it does look quite interesting and lovely, I would shudder to actually walk through these. I guess, I would still hazard a visit here – it is grossly unusual 😉