carpe omnia

The Sedlec Ossuary, Kutná Hora - Czech Republic  

The story of the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora is that, in the 13th century, the abbot of the Sedlec Monastery returned from a visit to Palestine with a pocketful of “holy soil” and sprinkled it on the cemetery surrounding the Chapel of All Saints.

This direct association with the holy land led to the graveyard becoming a sought after burial site among the aristocracy of Central Europe. In the 17th century the number of burials outgrew the space available and the older remains began to be exhumed and stored in the chapel. It is estimated that the chapel is artistically decorated with more than 40.000 human skeletons.

A Young Girl Defending Herself against Eros

Artist/Maker(s): William Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825 - 1905)