Wayside shrine (Boží muka)

Wayside shrines are small religious structures, sometimes also regarded as examples of folk architecture. They are usually located in the open country. They were built from the 14^th century, along main roads or at town gates. Later they were also built in places where saints appeared or where processions passed; they were meant to stop the passers-by for short prayers. Later they also served for orientation in the country.

They got the name Boží muka (“calvary”) after the fact that they represented the suffering of Jesus Christ. Czech wayside shrines are mostly made of stone and consist of three parts: the pedestal, mostly rectangular, the shaft, which resembles a pole on which Jesus Christ was whipped, and the capital in the shape of a rectangular house with alcoves and sacred scenes. A stone or metal cross may be on its top as well. The capital may also contain a saint’s figure. Passion scenes are often depicted in individual alcoves, as well as images of Saint Mary and Saint John. Patron saints of the people that commissioned the shrines may also appear, as well as the people’s names and initials, or other inscriptions (mostly biblical verses). Older shrines were mostly made of wood; the preserved structures mostly date from Baroque and later periods. Wayside shrines were victims of vandalism from their very beginnings. At first, their parts were taken by people who believed they could work miracles, while in communism they were left to their fate and often demolished. They have been gradually rebuilt and restored since the late 1980s.