Czech Republic: 18th Century Mummified Monks Holding Rosary Beads Showcased in Capuchin Monastery

Monk mummies — The monks were buried in Brno's Capuchin Monastery until the end of the 18th century Getty

A church in the Czech Republic is putting on display the mummified remains of 18th century monks to the public, hundreds of years after they were buried.

The Capuchin monastery with the Finding of the Holy Cross Church in Brno has unveiled around 24 mummies preserved in their robes, holding the rosary beads they were buried with.

These are the only remaining mummies of the 200 Capuchin Crypt monks and supporters of the religious order, who were buried until the end of the 18th century.

Accordint to a Brno tourism website, the composition of the rock and the special ventilation system in the buried champer allowed the corpses to be mummified in the open air.

"Due to the good geological structure of soil and system of air-holes, it was possible to mummify the corpses which have been preserved in the underground of the church to the present day," the website reads. "Except for the members of the Capuchin Order, the builders Ondřej and Jan Křtitel Ern and baron Franz von der Trenck (a commander of the Pandur and Špilberk prisoner) are buried there."

The church is decorated with Baroque sculptured dating to around 1765.

According to Czechtourism.com, the monastery and church is a "unique monument which will inspire every lover of history and art.".

Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic by population and area and the largest Moravian city.