Křtiny, kostel Jména Panny Marie

Křtiny is one of the oldest pilgrim places. A legend says that Saint Cyril, Saint Methodius, and their disciples baptized in a local valley there, so this is the origin of the place name: Vallis baptismi – Valley of Baptism – Křtiny. The history of the pilgrimage site started in 1210. At that time, the Virgin Mary appeared on a flourishing horse chestnut tree in Bukovinka village. A Gothic statue of St. Virgin Mary was placed there in the 13th century. The statue is made of stone from some European country (Luxembourg or its surroundings probably, because this country is the place where the Premonstratensian Order was founded.). Premonstratensian monks looked after the pilgrim place from 1209 to 1784. The monastery was dissolved that year. We are grateful to the monks for the beautiful building of the pilgrim church, called “The Pearl of Moravia”. The first written document about the church is a papal document from 1237. The 17th and the 18th centuries were the time of greatest prosperity of Křtiny. In the first half of the 18th century, the Baroque church was built, according to the design of Johann Blasius Santini Aichel (* 1677 + 1723), the well-known European architect. Křtiny became an important spiritual centre of Moravia, called “The First Ave” at that time. The 1st July 2008, the pilgrimage church was declared a National Cultural Monument. It was a successful conclusion of several years´ efforts of many people, especially Fr. Tomáš Prnka (* 1926 + 2013), the Křtiny parson. Monks used to pray breviary in the church every day at 7 o´clock in the morning. Nowadays, they pray rosary there every day, for all pilgrims, tourists and visitors of the church. They are all welcome at that place.

Distance from the object

Railway station

Bus stop