Capuchin Crypt in Brno, Underground burial chamber at Kapucínské náměstí, Czechia
The Capuchin Crypt in Brno is an underground burial chamber beneath the church where naturally mummified remains of friars are arranged in rows. They wear their traditional robes and hold religious objects, positioned beneath the church floor.
The crypt served as a final resting place from the 1650s to the late 1700s for members of the order and supporters of the Capuchins. More than one hundred and fifty were buried there during this period.
The crypt's walls carry Latin and German inscriptions, not Czech. Capuchin friars were buried without gravestones, all alike; only those who served over 50 years received a simple wooden cross. The order still keeps a necrologium of its dead and prays at noon for those whose anniversary falls that day.
The crypt is reached by a narrow alley beside the church that ends in a small courtyard with a fountain by sculptor Otmar Oliva. Inside, a glass wall separates visitors from the dead. The crypt is open to the public year-round.
The crypt holds roughly 200 burials, about 150 of them Capuchin friars, not two dozen. The dry air and ventilation openings mummified many bodies, and the unequal floor heights and vault types reveal that cellar rooms of demolished houses were reused.
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