Kalwaria Pakoska

Kalwaria Pakoska, called Kuyavian Jerusalem, is the second oldest calvary in Poland, after Zebrzydowska. It is a complex of Baroque religious architecture with 24 chapels and the Church of the Crucifixion. Its construction was initiated in 1628 by the local parish priest, Fr. Wojciech Kęsicki . Using the work of Adrychomius, he marked paths imitating the Jerusalem routes and marked the locations of individual stations, creating two processional routes: the Way of Capture and the Way of the Cross. In 1647, the Franciscans took over the care of the calvary and, with interruptions, they continue to do so to this day. In 2018, Kalwaria Pakoska was established as the Archdiocesan Sanctuary of the Passion of the Lord. Its heart is the monastery church, built by the Franciscans. Saint Bonaventure. In its interior, since 1671, the Relic of the Wood of the Holy Cross has been kept, currently the largest relic in Poland. The church, built on the ruins of a 14th-century castle, is located on the Piast Trail.