1 Minute Weird: Church of Bones

Sedlec Ossuary — Interior By Interfase Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

In Czechoslovakia, a former part of the Sedlec Abbey is referred to as the Sedlec Ossuary. The decor, furniture, and construction of which is made from human remains. In the 13th century, dirt from Golgatha was sprinkled in the graveyard. Because of the special dirt from Jerusalem, people thought it to be a prime, holy place to be buried. In the 15th century, the bodies were exhumed to make way for a newly constructed Gothic church. A woodworker, Frantisek Rint, was tasked with sorting and organizing the bones. He chose to make them art. Estimates are that some 40,000 to 70,000 people contributed to the ornate chandeliers, well-positioned piles and useful furniture of the Ossuary. The Ossuary is like an above-ground catacomb.

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