Holy Sepulchre chapel, Holy Sepulchre chapel in Slaný, Czech Republic.
Holy Sepulchre chapel in Slaný is a small hexagonal stone structure with a domed lantern on top. The building stands out for its paired columns with ornate carved capitals that support the central vault.
Count Bernard Ignác Jan of Martinice, owner of the Smečno and Slaný estates, had the chapel built in 1665 on the bare summit of Okrouhlík hill. Prague archbishop Arnošt Cardinal of Harrach consecrated it on 10 August 1665, the feast of St Lawrence. The Franciscans of Slaný administered it and held services there.
The name refers to Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre, replicated here in smaller form as a place of pilgrimage and prayer. The structure served as a spiritual substitute for believers who could not travel to the Holy Land.
The chapel sits near the Kvíček recreational area and can be reached by walking through the forest. The road toward Smečno passes nearby, and a smaller Empire-style niche chapel serves as a helpful landmark.
The precise hexagonal form with pointed arches mirrors exact measurements taken from the original tomb in Jerusalem. This attention to geometric accuracy was uncommon for religious buildings of its era.
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