Italy Cimitero Delle Fontanelle

Fontanelle Cemetery is an ossuary in Italy, created inside a cave in order to make room for the bodies of the newly departed, which was crowding churches. Many of these bodies were moved into the cave and were then joined by the bodies of thousands of plague victims. In the 17th century, a great flood washed them all out onto the streets a macabre sight. 

More corpses were added in 1837 due to the cholera epidemic. Later people became sentimental over the skulls and bones and paid respect to them by cleaning and praying for them. A cult developed where people would care for the skulls, bringing them flowers and small gifts.