The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica

‘Waldsassen, a town in Bavaria in Germany, is famous for its Papal basilica in baroque style. The halls of the church have an unusual decoration. The skeletons of Christian martyrs, who were exhumed from the catacombs of Rome between 1688-1765, are situated in glass vitrines and embedded in the rest interior decoration of the church. They are also known as the ”Holy Bodies.”


What differentiates these skeletons from the standard skeletal relics is that they are dressed in extravagant 1700s royal costumes and covered in jewels. Each year the church celebrates these martyrs at the Holy Bodies Fest.’ – Via Morbid Anatomy


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