Kalvária Banská Štiavnica

Calvary Banská Štiavnica is a late-Baroque calvary, architectural and landscape unit in Slovakia, unique in extent and content, formed in the years 1744–1751.CharacteristicsCalvary Banská Štiavnica is the most important Baroque calvary in Slovakia and in the whole former Kingdom of Hungary – probably even in the whole of Europe. This calvary is a complex of 3 churches and 22 chapels with precious painting decorations, furnished by wooden and blacksmith movables and wooden painted reliefs. All buildings of churches and chapels are set into the western side of a solid lava column in the middle of an ancient volcano – a hill named Scharffenberg (Ostrý vrch). The work was initiated by Jesuits in the 18th century as a part of their large programme implemented across the country.FormationAround 1740, medieval city Schemnitz, Kingdom of Hungary intended to form a standard Calvary with fourteen stations in the eastern part of the city – under a hill named Ostrý vrch . However, only two chapels still remain standing. The Jesuit Father Francis Perger proposed to the City Hall a project of magnificent Calvary comprising three churches and 22 chapels, probably based on the architectural design of major historian, cartographer and architect Samuel Mikoviny. The owners of the land in the year 1744 released the top of the hill with its western slope to the city in order to allow implementation of the Calvary complex as proposed by the Father Perger. After considering, the magistrate finally on 13 March 1744 agreed to, and provided the initial funding by the sum of 300 Goldens. Municipality Banská Štiavnica presented on 22 May 1744 a demand to ecclesiastical authority for approval to build Calvary according to this project under the auspices of the city of Banská Štiavnica. Archbishop of Esztergom Imrich Esterházy adopted the request and his approval reached the municipality on 13 August 1744. Immediately prepariation work was begun – treatments of the ground and import of materials on the site. The cornerstone was solemnly blessed by the presence of large numbers of believers and the priesthood on the Feast of Exaltation of the holy Cross – on 14 September in 1744. The first building was the "Upper Church".