Well, I think I'll end my Portugal/Spain adventure with this image from the town of Evora and its Bone Chapel. It's a small but fascinating space.
Here's a little history on the place:
By the 16th century, there were as many as 43 cemeteries in and around Évora that were taking up valuable land. Not wanting to condemn the souls of the people buried there, the monks decided to build the Chapel and relocate the bones.
However, rather than interring the bones behind closed doors, the monks, who were concerned about society’s values at the time, thought it best to put them on display. They thought this would provide Évora, a town noted for its wealth in the early 1600s, with a helpful place to meditate on the transience of material things in the undeniable presence of death. This is made clear by the thought-provoking message above the chapel door: “Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos,” or: “We bones, are here, waiting for yours.”
Oh my! How amazing. Yes, there are no armored trucks full of money at the cemeteries. Well I for one don’t want your trip photos to stop, they’ve been wonderful and I’ve learned so much about those countries from you! Thank you for being such a great photographic tour guide!
Great picture. There's a bone chapel in Rome, too, not far from the glamorous Via Veneto of the Dolce Vita: sadly, they do not allow taking photos there.
What fascinating background to this picture. Like that saying over the door. Really nice shot from the Bone Chapel. Perfect for b&w. That's some trip you had.
As Lou Ann says it was wonderful to make this trip with you!