The Banská Štiavnica Calvary is one of the most beautiful baroque calvaries in Europe. It stands on the Scharffenberg hill, can be seen from all sides and provides a general view of the Štiavnica caldera (a large cauldron created by the collapse of the walls of the volcano). It is unusual for the number of stops and the story it tells. After the reconstruction, it became one of the most visited places in the region.
The initiator of its construction was Father František Perger (1700 – 1771) from the local Jesuit community. He built it thanks to the donations of rich miners, dignitaries, and simple mining families. Donors are reminded of coats of arms on the facades of individual stops. Construction began in 1745 and was completed in 1751. Most calvaries have fourteen stops, starting with the condemnation of Christ before Pilate and ending with the Holy Sepulchre. The Banská Štiavnica Calvary has up to 25 stops in Nazareth, where Jesus leaves to publicly begin his work of redemption. Of the 23 buildings that make up Calvary in Banská Štiavnica, there are 3 churches, 19 chapels, and 1 statue.
The first three chapels are also called preparatory. From the lower church, the path continues to the seventh chapel and leads to the middle church, the Holy Stairs, where the serpentine paths fork. On the left side are the chapels that capture the last events of Jesus' condemnation and martyrdom and culminate in the Upper Church with the scene of his crucifixion. Bypassing the Holy Sepulchre, which is the only object located on the eastern side of the hill, the pilgrims then return past the chapels depicting the seven pains of the Virgin Mary. The entire pilgrimage ends above the Lower Church near the Statue of the Crucified Jesus and the Virgin Mary of the Seven Sorrows.
The wooden reliefs in the chapels represent the key moments of Jesus' life up to his passion and resurrection with typical baroque theatricality. The uniqueness of the calvary, together with its sensitive setting in the landscape and the wonderful view, make it one of the most visited attractions.
In 2007, the Calvary in Banská Štiavnica was included in the list of the hundred most endangered monuments in the world, in 2008, on the initiative of volunteers, its general reconstruction began.
Calvary is accessible throughout the year on weekends, in the summer season the churches and chapels are open daily. There is a small exhibition in the Lower Church. In addition to the free tour, it is possible to arrange a guided tour. The most valuable artefacts, sculptures, and paintings are presented in the Calvary in Exile exhibition at the Old Castle in Banská Štiavnica.
