This Statue of a Decomposing Prince Once Held His Actual Heart - Atlas Obscura
PinDrop

This Statue of a Decomposing Prince Once Held His Actual Heart

This morbid statue of the decomposing form of René de Chalon, Prince of Orange, once held his actual dried heart in its hand. Rather than favor an idealistic portrayal of the prince, the artist, Ligier Richier, highlights the realities of decay and death. The Transi de René de Chalon is located in the Saint-Étienne church in Bar-le-Duc, France. 

Latest
PinDrop

This Statue of a Decomposing Prince Once Held His Actual Heart

1:15
PinDrop

Explore a Rescued Frank Lloyd Wright Masterpiece

1:41
PinDrop

The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things

1:13
PinDrop

A Spherical 'Micro-Nation' in the Middle of Vienna

1:04
PinDrop

This Once-Thriving Hotel Couldn't Compete With Climate Change

1:27
Show More Videos
Most Read Stories
Elsewhere on Atlas Obscura
Original Nintendo Building
Kyoto, Japan

Original Nintendo Building

The first location of the eventual video game giant.
New York, New York

Grand Brasserie

New York's transit system peddles terrible food in limited windows—this restaurant is a rare exception.
Bear 409, “Beadnose,” a sow that won Fat Bear Week in 2018. GIS specialist Joel Cusick is pioneering a new technique for calculating the bears’ weight that doesn’t disrupt their normal activity.
animals

Fat Bears and 5 Other Stories of Preparing for Winter

From big-bottomed ants to gorging on salmon, there are plenty of ways to be ready for the cold months ahead.
Roxanne Hoorn November 15, 2024
Trondheim, Norway

Dora I

At this concrete bunker on the Trondheim fjord, secrets lie above and below the water's surface.