Mar 13 • 09:00 UTC 🇦🇷 Argentina Clarin (ES)

The church of the thousands of skeletons: the ambitious plan to save the world's most famous ossuary from collapse

The Kutná Hora ossuary in the Czech Republic, holding the remains of 60,000 people for 500 years, will remain open to visitors due to restoration efforts ensuring the temple's stability.

The Kutná Hora ossuary, located about 70 kilometers from Prague in a medieval city, is a UNESCO World Heritage site that has become a popular tourist attraction. It houses the bones of around 60,000 individuals, gathered over the past five centuries. Recent restoration efforts have been initiated as the building was at risk of collapsing, having leaned almost half a meter, which posed a significant threat not only to the structure but also to the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors who come to witness its eerie beauty.

The ossuary, dedicated to All Saints, is renowned for its unique decor, using human bones to create art pieces, which has made it a notable location for visitors and photographers alike. Despite this odd attractiveness, the structural issues had become a serious concern leading up to 2025, when the site was expected to host over 300,000 visitors. The recent restoration work promises to stabilize the building, thus securing its future as a tourist destination and a place for solemn reflection on mortality and the passage of time.

While the exterior still shows signs of the earlier lean, the latest restoration efforts have assured that there is no further risk of collapse. This progress not only ensures the preservation of this unique cultural landmark but also supports the local economy driven by tourism, as it continues to attract visitors who find in it both a striking visual experience and a deep, contemplative space regarding life's transience and the inevitability of death.

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