Chapel of Visitation of Holy Virgin Mary, Religious chapel in Karlov, Czech Republic
The Chapel of Visitation of Holy Virgin Mary is a Baroque masonry building in Josefův Důl, made up of a wider, nearly square main section with a slightly convex apse and a triangular gable. It has a saddle roof covered with tiles, topped by a small bell turret with a pyramidal roof. A spring stands at the site.
A wooden chapel was built on the spring site in 1762, when gifts brought by pilgrims even prompted brief plans for a church. In 1800 Count František Antonín Desfours had it rebuilt in stone; the new chapel was consecrated on 27 June 1803. It was remodelled into its present form in 1865, and in 2009–2011 it underwent its last major reconstruction.
The site served as a pilgrimage destination, especially during Marian celebrations, when visitors from surrounding areas came seeking the spring water for healing. For many people, the chapel and its source represented a place of spiritual connection.
The chapel stands in Karlov, a part of Josefův Důl in the Jizera Mountains, and is reached on foot along forest paths. The building was restored between 2009 and 2011, so the structure is in good condition. The spring beside it flows all year, but the water is not treated for drinking.
A local farmer discovered an image of a saint while plowing his fields, after which his ailing wife found healing through the spring water. This story shaped the site's importance as a refuge for the ill and those seeking recovery.
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