Capuchin Crypt

Beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione on Via Veneto, six small chapels have been decorated entirely with the bones of approximately 3,700 Capuchin friars who died between 1528 and 1870. Skulls form rosettes, femurs create arched ceilings, and vertebrae line the walls in intricate patterns. A sign at the entrance reads: "What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be."

Far from macabre tourism, the crypt was intended as a meditation on mortality — a deeply Catholic tradition of memento mori. Alongside the bone decorations, several intact mummified friars remain in their habits. The small museum upstairs provides excellent context. Allow 45 minutes and avoid visiting if you're sensitive to such themes.