St. Anthony's Hill, Baroque pilgrimage chapel in Blatnice pod Svatým Antonínkem, Czech Republic.
St. Anthony's Hill is a baroque pilgrimage chapel set on a wooded hill above the village of Blatnice pod Svatým Antonínkem in South Moravia, Czech Republic. The building is surrounded by linden trees and vineyards, with outdoor Stations of the Cross lining the path that leads up to it.
Prince Hartmann of Liechtenstein asked the Olomouc consistory in 1662 for permission to build a chapel on the hill, hoping to ward off bad weather that threatened the harvest. Consent came in 1668, when the foundation stone was laid, and the building was finished in 1670. A nave was added to the octagonal rotunda in 1696–1697.
The hill is named after Saint Anthony of Padua, one of the most venerated saints in this part of Moravia. On pilgrimage days, people from surrounding villages walk the outdoor Stations of the Cross before entering the chapel.
The chapel is reached on foot from the village below, along a path that passes through vineyards and offers open views across the surrounding countryside. The route is exposed to sun and wind, so bring water and wear sturdy shoes regardless of the season.
The ceiling of the presbytery carries a painting of Saint Anthony floating above the hill with the chapel, made by the churchwarden and folk painter František Hána (1804–1877), known as "pantáta maléř". Below it hangs a sculpture of the Last Supper donated in 1888 by the builder Slovák from Strážnice.
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