W4-4: Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

W4-4: SANTA MARIA DELL'ORAZIONE E MORTE

This church is mainly known for the enormous amount of skulls and bones that are preserved there. These come from drowning victims and other nameless dead. Here lie the remains of more than 8,000 unknown dead. Often, strange pilgrims were found dead in the streets, having died from deprivation, poverty, diseases, attacks... Sometimes recognizable as pilgrims because they wore a St. James shell, pierced with a hole to hang from their clothing with a thread.

The only way to visit the crypt with its macabre scenes is to attend the worship service and then attempt to obtain permission to satisfy your curiosity.

Marc Vandenbon