Kaple Povýšení svatého Kříže (Svatý Jan pod Skalou)

The Chapel of the Elevation of the Holy Cross stands above Svatý Jan pod Skalou, a small village in the Czech Karst on the edge of the Bohemian Karst protected landscape area. It sits on a narrow rocky ridge directly beneath a steep limestone cliff that rises roughly 159 meters above the village — one of the more dramatic settings for a chapel anywhere in the region.

When was the chapel built?

The building dates to 1714 and is generally attributed to Kryštof Dienzenhofer, one of the leading architects of Bohemian Baroque, though the attribution is usually presented as likely rather than certain. The chapel is laid out as a Greek cross and originally carried four pediments, one over each arm of the cross.

What is inside the chapel?

The main feature of the interior is a ceiling fresco depicting the Finding of the Holy Cross, painted in 1763 by Jan Václav Spitzer. The scene ties directly to the chapel's dedication and to the biblical story of the cross being rediscovered. Both the fresco and the building underwent a thorough restoration between 1993 and 1997, and the renewed chapel was rededicated on 14 September 1997.

Where does the legend behind the chapel come from?

Local tradition holds that this is the spot where Saint John the Baptist met the hermit Ivan and gave him a wooden cross to drive evil spirits out of the surrounding rocks and caves. The legend accounts for the chapel's dedication and for the long hermitic tradition tied to the site — it is also the origin of the village's own name.

Close to the chapel stands a separate Renaissance stone sculpture carved from local red limestone in 1602, commissioned by Marshal Rusworm, commander of the imperial forces of Emperor Rudolf II. It shows Christ on the Cross flanked by Saint John the Baptist and the hermit Ivan — an older sacred object than the chapel itself, but closely linked to the same cult.

How do you get to the chapel?

A red-marked hiking trail leads to the chapel, making it a popular stop combined with a walk through the village and the surrounding rock formations of the Czech Karst. Because the chapel sits on a rocky ridge, visitors should expect a short climb, though the route itself needs no special preparation.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same building as the monastery church in Svatý Jan pod Skalou? No. The Chapel of the Elevation of the Holy Cross is a separate, small structure on the rocky ridge above the village, several hundred meters from the monastery Church of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist in the village center.

Who designed the chapel? It is attributed to Kryštof Dienzenhofer, though sources treat this as a probable rather than confirmed attribution.

What does the fresco inside depict? The Finding of the Holy Cross, painted in 1763 by Jan Václav Spitzer.

Where does the cross legend and the village name come from? From the tradition that Saint John the Baptist met the hermit Ivan here and handed him a wooden cross to fight off evil spirits — a story tied both to the chapel and to the name of the village itself.