swietokrzyskie region

1. Holy Cross
prepared by Sandra Słoń

3. In the past: now:

4. History of the Holy Cross
Monastery
It is not known exactly when Benedictine
Monastery on Łysa Góra was built. Jan
Długosz gives the year 1006. The earliest
written source comes from the thirteenth -
century chronicles of Wielkopolska.

5. Library in the Holy Cross
Monastery
In 1461 Casimir IV and Cardinal
Zbigniew Olesnicki built a Gothic
church and cloisters. This was a
successful period for the
monastery. There was a rich
library, in the north wing of the
monastery and a hospital
pharmacy. The Holy Cross then
was very popular among the
crowned heads, such as
Wladyslaw Jagiello, Sigismund
the Old with the Queen Bona and
others.

6. Mummy of the Prince Wiśniowiecki
In the Holy Cross
Monastery there is an
underground crypt, with
the mummy of the
prince Wiśniowiecki. It's
a little scary, because
the skeleton looks as if
it was laughing. At the
entrance there is the
inscription: „I was who
you are. You will be
who I am”

7. Cabs at Holy Cross
• For centuries Holy Cross has been a place by
visited many people. In the past it was a place
of pagan worship, and later people came here
because of the relics of the holy sanctuary of
wood from Christ’s Cross.
• Beautiful surroundings, a wide range of tourist
services, frequent outdoor events make it all
that you need to see the surroundings of the
Holy Cross.
• However, it is not easy to reach the top of the
Holy Cross. The challenge is over 2 kilometer
road to the top of Bald Mountain, one that
does not take your breath away, not only
because of the beautiful views of the old forest
but also a steep mountain slope. Therefore, at
the bottom of the will you can hire a cab for a
small fee to take you up the hillthe. Then you
can look around and admire the beauty of an
ancient forest.

8. Every year one grain
The legend says that when the prince Emeric
pilgrimaged to the monastery, he boasted his piety.
He was punished and turned to stone. Today in New
Słupia where a stone trail begins there is a statue of
a stone pilgrim. Apparently the statue each year
moves up the hill a single grain of sand. The legend
says that when it reaches the top (2,5km distance), it
will be the end of the world. The Grain has a
thickness of 1 mm. The trail is called "royal road".
Exactly 600 years ago, Polish king Władysław
Jagiełło, asked God for victory. The army at that time
had been waiting at the foot of the mountains.

9. Particles of pine
In the monastery of the Holy Cross there is a novitiate. 16 guys
learn here the Oblate life. Before we look at the wonderful
reliquary, we hear a loud chorus singing "Happy Birthday".
One of the newcomers was celebrating his birthday. The
monks pray for many people and they do not know how
many people their prayers helped. Some time ago, doctors
found cancer in a woman’s body Recent studies have shown
that she is quite healthy. No one here doubts that prayer
works. As no doubt the fact that parts of the tree in a
reliquary really come from the cross of Christ. - Several
years ago, the scientific study showed that the particles
come from pine wood growing in Jerusalem in the first
century.

10. Emeric and witches
The Holy Cross Monastery stands on the top of the hill
called Bald Mountain. In the past the pagans
worshiped their gods here. According to the
legend,the witches met on Łysa Góra. One day the
prince Emeric was hunting in the surrounding
forests . Suddenly saw a deer and fell to his knees,
because the animal's antlers lit the cross.

11. Footnotes:
www.wikipedia.pl
www.gory-swietokrzyskie.eu
www.kielce.uw.gov.pl
www.sbc.wbp.kielce.pl