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GentleSpirit Says: Most people come to Sedlec to just see the Ossuary. Frankly, it would be a mistake to come and skip the magnificent Church of St Barbara in Kutna Hora, just a short walk from the Ossuary. Sedlec is a suburb of Kutna Hora, though in reality, both were controlled by the...
GentleSpirit Says: In tribute to his patrons, František Rint created a replica of the Schwartzenberg family crest, made entirely of human bones from the ossuary! It is a large display, certainly one of the centerpieces, and I had to wonder whether the family really objected to this at all....
The Sedlec Ossuary Transformation
GentleSpirit Says: The ossuary that had existed since late Middle Ages probably would have been of no particular interest to anyone except relatives of the dead buried there, However, the Sedlec Ossuary that you see today is the result of a fateful decision by the House of Schwartzenberg, the...
GentleSpirit Says: A chandelier made of human bones? Cmon! This chandelier is, in fact, made of human bones. The story says that it makes use of every bone in the human body! It uses hands from the nave with rows of human skulls adoring the vault. I didn't really look at it closely enough to...
GentleSpirit Says: I hadn't really thought of it before. But it turns out that ossuaries are not at all uncommon throughout the world. They differ somewhat in the different religious traditions. Really, an ossuary is set up for a very practical reason, lack of space to bury the dead and keep...
GentleSpirit Says: How did this ossuary come to be? Well, the ossuary was built in the Sedlec suburb of the town of Kutna Hora. Now remember, at the time, Kutna Hora was one of the more important cities in the Czech Lands because of the wealth generated by the silver mines. Perhaps the single...
illumina Says: When you buy your entry ticket (40Kc in 2007) to the bone church, you'll probably be offered an extra ticket which allows you to take photos inside. BUY IT. It's only 30Kc (again in 2007), and you'll seriously regret it if you don't.
alancollins Says: A very popular tourist site and somewhat more unusual one, is the Sedlec Ossuary located in a suburb of Kutna Hora. The Chapel is located beneath All Saints Church. In the 13th century, the Abbot of the monastery in Sedlec was sent by the Czech king on a mission to...
ThiagoRamos Says: Every single detail inside the church is made of bones. Check this picture...In spite of it being really weird and of a doubtful taste, the artist Frantisek Rint did an amazing job here!!! Congratulations!!!
ThiagoRamos Says: Frantisek Rint´s creativity should definitely be rewarded!!! How do you decorate anything with skulls???The answer should probably be: You don´t!!!Well, HE DID!!! And that´s f*** bizarre!!!
ThiagoRamos Says: On each of the 4 corners of the church there are huge bone bells where most of the bones are stored. The Schwarzenberg Coat of Arms is in front of one of these bells.
Schwarzenberg Family Coat of Arms
ThiagoRamos Says: The Schwarzenberg Family is one of the oldest noble families in Bohemia. Everywhere you go, you hear something about them. Frantisek Rint, the artist of Sedlec´s Kostnice, probably reproduced their Coat of Arms to please them or did it at their own request or something like...
ThiagoRamos Says: Take a look at this huge bone chandelier!!!This is probably one of the things that caught my attention while inside the Bone Church. How bizarre is that???
ThiagoRamos Says: The Bone Church is more a chapel than a church as it is rather small. You can perfectly visit it in 15 minutes.As you enter the church, you´ll be given a free brochure that quickly explains what you will see and the history of the place. This brochure must be returned as you...
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Whilst waiting for the bone church to re-open after lunch. I popped into this shop to but a cup of coffee and a sweet... They sold most things from batteries to postcards..
Favorite Dish: the chocolate thing in the photo for rather different reasons?
Written Feb 23, 2006
Address: Sedlec Kostnice
GentleSpirit Says: You would take the train from Prague to Kutna Hora hlavni nadrazi, the main station.From there you can take the tourist bus, which costs 35 CK.Otherwise take city bus #1 which will drop you off around the corner from the ossuary.Otherwise, you can walk, it is 2.5 kilometres...
leics Says: Easiest way is by train to Kutna Hora from Prague's Hvladni Nadrazi station.Ticket office staff (it's a very swish ticket office!) speak enough English to organise a return ticket for you (very cheap).Train takes around an hour and, usefully, your ticket will list...
illumina Says: It's pretty easy to get to Sedlec from Prague - just get the train to Kutna Hora main station (hlavní nádraží), and then have a quick look at the tourist info map in the underpass in the station, this will show you where to go. It's probably a ten minute walk. There are...
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What to buy: For the determined tourist who needs to have a little souvenir of every place they have visited, Sedlec offers you a very unique reminder of the time you passed here. Sure, you could get a postcard or key ring, no doubt one that would feature skulls and bones. But, maybe the discerning tourist might want to walk away with their very own....a skull model!!! Don't worry, it's made of plaster ! Now would that be something to explain to the customs man when you're coming home, or even your curious friends or relatives?
What to pay: for the bargain price of 350 korunas (about $15 US dollars at the time of my visit)
this skull could be yours!
Written Oct 28, 2012
Address: Starosedlecká, 284 03 Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
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Favorite thing: Other Ossuaries:
Capela dos Ossos- Evora, Portugal
built in the 16th century, this ossuary houses the bones of about 5,000 Fransiscan monks.
Kaplica Czaszek- St Barthlomew's Church- Czermna, Poland
from the late 1700's this houses about 25,000 skeletons. Interestingly, it was arranged by a Czech priest. Mostly from victims of the 7 Years War, 30 Years War and cholera epidemics.
St Peter and Pauls Church- Melnik, Czech Republic (near Prague)
Na Vyhlídce 18, Melník, 27601, Czech Republic
Mostly the result of overburial during one of the outbreaks of the Plague. This ossuary contains about 15,000 skeletons.
Capuchin Church- Brno, Czech Republic
Kapucinske namesti 5, Brno, 602 00, Czech Republic
http://www.kapucini.cz
24 monks like perfectly preserved, mummified, Thought to be due to the dry air and the nature of the soil.
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary- Křtiny, Czech Republic
This ossuary has the some of the skulls painted, in what appeared to be practice in Austria at the time (see Halstatt house) This is a small ossuary, only about 1,000 skeletons
San Bernardino alla Ossa- Milan, Italy (Skull Chapel and Chapel of Bones)
originally created in the 13th century, this chapel has lovely frescoes on the ceiling.
Capuchin Crypt- Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, Rome, Italy
this ossuary has 5 chapels containing the bones of about 5,000 capuchin monks buried from the mid 1500s through 1800's.
Monastery of San Fransisco- Lima, Peru
catacombs thought to house up to 70,000. Interestingly, the Monastery itself is on the Unesco World Heritage list (though for other reasons.)
Updated Mar 29, 2013
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The Sedlec Ossuary- As bizarre as it gets
Most visitors to Prague have at least seen the adverts for the daytrip to Kutna Hora. It is an easy daytrip from Prague and absolutely worth doing! For most people I think it is safe to say its not......
Sedlec is about 3 to 4 kms away from the town of Kutna Hora, and is an interest place to visit and spend time to wander around...
Located 3 km away from Kutna Hora´s city center, Sedlec is famous for its bizarre Bone Church. In the XIII Century, Sedlec´s cemetery had up to 40.000 people buried in it. People believed that the......
Build your own Sedlec (Bone Church) page
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