Křížová cesta (Kroměříž) Way of the cross

Cross Way in Kroměříži is a Baroque monument with 14 stops. It is located in a cemetery on Velehrad Street. It was created in 1762 near the mountains of Barborina and is today protected as a real-estate cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

The construction was financed in 1762 by the township Judita Heinischová, the widow of the bishop Jan Heinisch. She lived in a house on the Grand Square 48 (today number 46), which is also protected as a cultural monument. The road was originally located at the chapel of St. Barbara on the hill of Barborina in the western part of the city. This construction from before 1691 was in bad shape in 1850 and undercut by sand mining. Although it was repaired in 1860, in 1976 only the debris remained.

The monument consists of pylons of rough-grained sandstone with a height of 420 to 470 cm, standing on four-sided bases. At the top of each obelisk is a forged cross, which was created as a copy. On the front side of the column there is an oval sculpture made of fine grain sandstone with a scene from the Pashija cycle. The years 1806 and 1870 on cartouche show that the sculptures come from different periods, which is confirmed by their different art processing. The Latin signs for stopping are only fragmental on the columns, while the full text is bearing brass tables on the bases.

Between 1998 and 1999 the journey was restored and moved from the original place to the cemetery in Velehradská Street. The stops are located here along the inside of the western cemetery wall. The cross road was ceremonially sanctified on 2 April 1999. The original location of one of the stops is documented by a watercolour from the Austrian painter Rudolf von Alta in 1842.

The file was supplemented by an initial compliment from the guardian angel. It was originally in Koperníkov Street in front of the house 1429 / 32 and was later stored in the deposit of the Flower Garden. The walled bow has been restored, including the embossed cartouche of praying Christ with an angel with a cup of bitterness. Now it stands at the crossroads of the cemetery roads in the back of the cemetery. From there the journey continues through individual stops towards the ceremonial hall and Jewish part of the cemetery. Due to the poor condition of some crosses, a blind cartouche is used for the second, ninth and 14th stops.

In recent years there have been systematic repairs to the stoppage financed by the Ministry of Culture programme. The sixth and tenth stops were restored in 2019, the eighth in 2020 and the fourth in 2025. During the restaurant of the second stop in 2021, the missing cartouche was newly created based on a photograph from the book Ludwig Šaleníček from 1945.

The stops of the crossroads are gradually accompanied by scenes from condemnation of Jesus to death, through acceptance of the Cross, three falls, a meeting with Mother, the help of Simon, the wipe of the face of Veronica, the comfort of weeping women, the theft of clothes, the nail-nail on the cross and death, until marriage from the Cross and the burial into the grave.

The monument represents a valuable example of baroque religious art and testifies to the appreciation of the Kromeriz townspeople. Her visit offers the possibility of peaceful reflection in the historical environment of the cemetery.