Stations of the Cross – Římov – fara a dům pro poutníky

The pilgrimage site of Římov – the Jerusalem of South Bohemia

The pilgrimage site of Římov [ˈr̝iːmov] in South Bohemia was established in the mid-17th century, in the midst of the Thirty Years’ War. Its founder was the Jesuit Jan Gurre, who, based on a vision of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, built 25 chapels around Římov commemorating Jesus’ Passion in Jerusalem. He also built a small Loretto Chapel there.

The origins of this pilgrimage site are connected to the Jesuit brother Jan Gurre, who in 1642 is said to have experienced a vision of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in Římov. In his vision, Jesus urged him to build chapels commemorating His Passion in Jerusalem, while the Virgin Mary requested the construction of a chapel to honor her as the Mother of God’s Son. After the end of the Thirty Years’ War, the Jesuits devoted themselves to this mission and established in Římov a mission station and pilgrimage site that vividly reflects the entire history of salvation.

In 1650, the Jesuits built a Loretto Chapel in the center of Římov, an exact replica of the original house of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth, which is venerated in Loreto, Italy. This house had been transferred from the Holy Land to Italy at the end of the 13th century and became a popular pilgrimage destination. Since the 17th century, Římov has attracted pilgrims who come to the Loretto Chapel to commemorate the site of the Incarnation of God’s Son and to venerate the Virgin Mary. In the cloisters surrounding the Loretto, built in 1658, visitors can admire Baroque paintings with Marian themes.

On the Římov Passion Trail, consisting of 25 chapels built between 1650 and 1710 and adorned with life-sized statues and paintings, pilgrims follow in the footsteps of Jesus – from His farewell to the Virgin Mary, through the Last Supper, Gethsemane, and His trial, all the way to Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre.

The complex is complemented by the Church of the Holy Spirit, built in 1714, which commemorates the birth of the Church as the continuation of Christ’s redemptive work. In this way, the Jesuits in the 17th century created in Římov a kind of “sacred theater”, vividly bringing to life the key events of the Christian faith.

This Baroque pilgrimage site, which is also a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic, was entrusted in 2019 to the care of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). After extensive restoration of the pilgrimage site, the church, and the chapels, the FSSP is now striving to also renovate the historic building of the former pilgrims’ house and rectory, as an essential facility for the ongoing functioning of this pilgrimage site