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Europe

Christian sights in Europe

  1. A

    Sedlec Ossuary

    When the Schwarzenberg family purchased Sedlec monastery in 1870 they allowed a local woodcarver to get creative with the bones that had been piled in the crypt for centuries. But this was no piddling little heap of bones: it was the remains of no fewer than 40, 000 people. The result was the remarkable ‘bone church’ of Sedlec Ossuary.

    Garlands of skulls and femurs are strung from the vaulted ceiling like Addams Family Christmas decorations, while in the centre dangles a vast chandelier containing at least one of each bone in the human body. Four giant pyramids of stacked bones squat in each of the corner chapels, and crosses, chalices and monstrances of bone adorn…

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  2. B

    St Mary's Abbey

    The ruins of St Mary's Abbey date from 1270 to 1294. The ruined Gatehall was its main entrance, providing access from the abbey to the river. The adjacent Hospitium dates from the 14th century, although the timber-framed upper storey is a much-restored survivor from the 15th century, used as the abbey guesthouse. St Mary's Lodge was built in about 1470 to provide VIP accommodation.

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