Geneza Kalwarii Zebrzydowskiej

The Birth of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Shrine

Summary: Kalwaria Zebrzydowska was founded by Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, Lord Voivode of Cracow, who was the local landlord in this area. Originally there was only to be a Holy Cross Chapel here, but the plan soon expanded to encompass reproductions of the main chapels of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, 'Golgotha' and 'the Holy Sepulchre'. Finally, inspired by a book by Father Christian Adrichmius describing the Holy Land, the Voivode decided to incorporate replicas of all the major 'stations' of Christ's Way of the Cross, prompted by the topographical similarity between the neighbourhood of Kalwaria and Jerusalem. That is how the entire religious complex of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, with its churches and chapels scattered over the hillsides of the Polish Beskidy, grew and took shape in the period 1600-1617 from the patronage of Mikołaj Zebrzydowski. The master builder was Paul Baudarth of Flanders. The founder entrusted the care of the new sanctuary to the Franciscans of the Strict Observance, a popular religious order in Poland. We owe the extensive information we have on the origins and establishment of Kalwaria to Father Ludwik Boguski (died 1618), who was the Order's chronicler at the time.

Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 1995, z.2, s. 21-25.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

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