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📍 Carmo Church
The Chapel of Bones (Chapel of Bones) in Faro is linked to the Carmo Church. This two-tower church was built in 1713, and a few years later, King João V (João V) of Portugal funded the gilding decoration inside the church, which is in stark contrast to the Church of Human Bone, which was only built in 1816. The church has the title “Pára aqui a ar que a este estado has-de chegar” which means “stop here and think about it, and you will reach this state too”. Catholicism is not afraid of talk or death. The visual and sensory differences between the two places can better convey Catholicism's religious idea of “life is short.”
There is a fee of 2 Euros to enter the church; only cash payments are accepted. The first thing that comes to mind is the confession room in front of traditional Portuguese tiles, as well as several Bible stories. Statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus stand on the left and right sides before entering the main church, making the whole church even more solemn.
Four statues of saints stand in front of the main church, and the splendid decorations are eye-opening. Legend has it that King John V, who sponsored interior decoration, was a very religious person. He spent most of his life studying Catholicism and praying to God. In addition to this, the royal family at the time was supported by the Pope (the domain ruled by the Catholic Pope in the 18th century), and every monarch also donated and sponsored the development of the Catholic Church.
The center of the main church is the most luxurious part of the entire church. In addition to the same magnificent decoration, there is also an angel decoration that extends from the front of the eyes to the top of the head. Countless heads and statues of children are superimposed on top of each other, symbolizing angels guarding the church and believers and conveying God's will. Although I've been to numerous Catholic churches in Europe, this is also the first time I've seen a cathedral designed in this way.
The Catholic angel statues I've seen before all have a sense of purity and divinity. However, due to the excessive decoration of this church, on the contrary, it is suitable for giving people a sense of hidden surprise. The wall painting above the church uses illusionism, an art style commonly seen in the 18th century, giving people the visual illusion that the space is larger than the actual space.
From the right right side of the main church, you can easily see the direction sign to the Church of Human Bone. After passing through the room where the statue of Jesus was nailed to the cross, you will reach the outdoor back yard of the church - the location of the Human Bone Church.
📍 Chapel of human bones in Capela dos Ossos
The Church of Human Bone (Capela dos Ossos) was completed in 1816. Since the Catholic Church regards death as sacred, the church used the bones of more than 1,000 Galmerian monks to build a church to symbolize supreme praise to God. Bones stored outside have many signs of deterioration due to exposure to the sun and rain. There are also some internal bone and leg bone defects.
Entering the inside of the Human Bone Church is another kind of visual shock. A series of human bones are neatly arranged in the church according to the parts of the bone. Although the Faro Church of Human Bone is not the most famous in Europe, it has a different meaning compared to some of the most well-known churches. In addition to conveying religious significance, the construction of many bone churches stemmed from the Black Death in the 14th century. At the time, the plague took the lives of tens of thousands of people in Europe. Cemeteries couldn't put down all the bodies, so they could only store them in churches. Compared to those who lost their lives during the pandemic, the atmosphere here was not that depressing, and I felt that all the Saints continued to serve God honorably.
Although stored indoors, human bones also have varying degrees of damage (hopefully only natural decay rather than artificial decay). This environment reminds us of the Catholic idea of “life is short,” and I hope everyone can live to the fullest and write their own stories.
How to get to Faro?
💡 Transportation:Airline ticket price / European train prices
