Chapel of the Holy Cross

Chapel of the Holy Cross stands on a hill just northwest of Pelhřimov's historic center, in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic. Known locally as Kalvárie, it began life as a small 17th-century replica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and has spent the last three and a half centuries evolving through use, decay, and careful reconstruction.

How did the chapel begin?

In 1671 the Pelhřimov burgher and town councilman Jan Kryštof Blažejovský and his wife Dorotea funded a modest structure above the town, inspired by the wave of Holy Sepulchre replicas and calvaries being built across Europe and the Czech lands at the time. The original building combined a porch, a chapel, and a small sepulchre chamber modeled on the Jerusalem original.

Why was it enlarged in the 18th century?

Growing numbers of pilgrims visiting the hill prompted an expansion around 1750: a church and a bell tower were added next to the existing chapel, and the interior was decorated with a painted cycle depicting the Passion of Christ. For much of the 18th century the site functioned as a genuine calvary complex, drawing visitors from the surrounding region.

What happened to it after that?

The chapel's fortunes turned during the church reforms carried out under Emperor Joseph II, when it was closed and passed into private hands. Without an institutional owner to maintain it, the building deteriorated steadily over the following decades, and lightning strikes caused further damage to the structure and its tower. By 1865 the Baroque building was in such poor condition that the town council decided to tear it down rather than repair it.

Why does the current building look Neo-Gothic?

The chapel standing on the hill today is not the 17th-century original but a replacement built between 1883 and 1886. Dean Vojtěch Holý organized the fundraising campaign, and the winning design came from local builder Josef Šlechta. The result is a Neo-Gothic building with a longitudinal nave, a polygonal presbytery, groin vaults overhead, and a small choir tucked beneath the tower that faces the town below. The new chapel was solemnly consecrated on 18 July 1886, and today it is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Can visitors go inside today?

After decades of renewed neglect in the second half of the 20th century, the City of Pelhřimov took over the building from the Roman Catholic parish in 2012 and carried out a full restoration between 2013 and 2015, following the original architectural plans. Since reopening in 2015, the chapel has hosted exhibitions, concerts, and weddings, and its stained-glass windows have been restored along with the rest of the interior. Reaching the entrance on the eastern façade still means climbing 37 steps up the hillside — part of the same route once used by pilgrims following the adjoining Way of the Cross that connects the chapel to the town center.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Chapel of the Holy Cross located? On a hill northwest of Pelhřimov's historic center, in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic.

Why is it also called Kalvárie? Because it was built as a calvary — a replica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, later expanded into a small pilgrimage complex with a Way of the Cross leading up to it.

When was the current building constructed? Between 1883 and 1886, replacing the deteriorated 17th-century original; it was consecrated on 18 July 1886.

Can the chapel be visited today? Yes. After a 2013-2015 restoration, it reopened in 2015 and now hosts exhibitions, concerts, and weddings; visitors reach the entrance via 37 steps up the hillside.