kaple Nejsvětější Trojice u cesty k zámku Lemberk Chapel

The Chapel of the Holy Trinity, also known as the Zdislava Chapel, belongs to the historic buildings in the extensive heritage-protected grounds of Lemberk Castle near Jablonné v Podještědí. The entire complex is part of the Lembersko Landscape Heritage Zone, one of the smallest landscape heritage zones in the Czech Republic. The chapel stands at the end of approximately 400 meters long lime tree avenue, which leads from the Bredovský Castle.

The site has been connected for centuries with Zdislava of Lemberk, whom Pope John Paul II canonized in 1995. Zdislava was probably born in 1220 into the family of Moravian nobleman Přibyslaw of Křižanov. After marrying Havel of Lemberk, she moved to his newly built residence in northern Bohemia. The couple founded and supported a Dominican monastery in Jablonné and they are also credited with establishing other churches, monasteries and hospitals. Among their achievements was also the chapel near Lemberk. According to another source, however, it was founded at the end of the 14th century by Hašek of Lemberk, the last male heir of the family, who was buried there together with his wife.

Zdislava's healing abilities are mentioned already in Dalimil's Chronicle from the beginning of the 14th century. Later legends tell that she used water from a spring below the hill where the chapel stood for healing, and she would go there to pray. There is a theory that after her death in 1252, she may have been buried here first and only later transferred to the Church of Saint Lawrence in Jablonné. The chronicler Václav Hájek of Libočan apparently mistakenly mentions the grave of Saint Přibyslaw, sister of Saint Wenceslas, but she lived about 300 years earlier.

The spring and its surroundings soon became an unofficial place of pilgrimage after Zdislava's death. In 1657 the Gothic chapel was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, received a bell and frescoes. In the crypt and in the surrounding cemetery, then local officials and their families were buried. During the Baroque period, the cult of Zdislava was revived again and at the beginning of the 19th century the interior was arranged as a pilgrimage site. People then began to call the chapel the church of blessed Zdislava.

The pilgrimage and burial tradition persisted for a short time after the Second World War. Then the building fell into decay and became a target for treasure hunters and vandals. The entrances to the chapel and to the cemetery were therefore bricked up.