the capela dos ossos at the Igreja do Carmo in the old town of Faro at the east Algarve in the south of Portugal in Europe. 636696062 Portuguese Culture, Faro - Portugal, Tomb, Grave, Cemetery, Old Town, Bizarre, Famous Place, Architecture, Human Skull, Human Bone, Algarve, Portugal, Europe, Chapel, Church, skelet, Igreja Do Carmo, Capela Dos Ossos

© iStock

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo & Capela dos Ossos

Top choice in Faro

LoginSave

One of the Algarve's most dazzling churches, this twin-towered baroque masterpiece was completed in 1719 under João V. After the 1755 earthquake, its spectacular facade was paid for with Brazilian gold, and the interior is gilded to the extreme, with numerous cherubs. Accessed through the church at the back, the 19th-century Capela dos Ossos is built from the bones and skulls of over 1000 monks as a reminder of earthly impermanence. It's quite a sight.