The road of sorrow of Via Dolorosa

• Address: Old City, Jerusalem, Israel;
• The length of the route: 14 stops.

For travelers who have found themselves in Jerusalem , it is recommended that you follow such a tourist itinerary as the Via Dolorosa Road of Sorrow. This will allow you to get acquainted with local sights and enjoy the culture of the Jewish people

Road of Sorrows of Via Dolorosa - description

Via Dolosora or the Way of the Cross is the most sorrowful place for Christians around the world, because this road Jesus Christ went to his death sentence - a crucifixion on Mount Calvary, and then was buried nearby. From the Latin "Via Dolorosa" translate as a path of sorrow. To date, the Road of Sorrows of Via Dolorosa is the name of the street that starts at the Lions Gate and moves to the Temple of the Lord.

The way of the Cross, itinerary and has 14 stops, which are marked by church buildings. Nine stops are even described in the Gospels, but over the centuries the way has changed several times. To go by this road is worth to be imbued with those events that took place two millennia ago and feel what fell to the Savior's share.

The story of the Road of Sorrow of Via Dolorosa

The procession on this road took place in the IV century, but later Muslims in the XI century ceased to welcome such activities and banned walking. When the crusaders came to the city, they decided to revive the traditions, because the pilgrims wandered about to enter the holy lands. The path changed due to the fact that there were constantly new legends and rumors that brought contradictions about the description of the route to the holy lands.

In the XIV century monks decided to make a passionate way pious processes, it meant that you need to stop at the stations and read the prayers. Initially, there were 20 stations, but in the 17th century they stopped at the level of 14. The name "Via Dolorosa" first sounded in the 16th century and was characterized as a ritual of the procession of pilgrims. Only at the end of the 19th century did the street in the guidebook for pilgrims become known.

Route Description

Walking along Via Sororia's Road of Sorrow, you can visit many memorable places and get acquainted with historical sights. The whole route consists of 14 stations:

1. The first station of this path is the place where Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate. All the accusations took place in the tower of Antonia , which has not survived until now. Now this place is a female Catholic monastery. In the courtyard of the monastery of the Sisters of Sion there are two chapels, one of which is called Condemnation, here the pronunciation of the verdict to Jesus Christ took place.
2. The next station is in another chapel with the name of the Church of the Scourging . Here Jesus was trained: they put on a scarlet shroud, a crown of thorns on their heads, in this place they attached a cross. Near the monastery stands the arch, under which Pontius Pilate brought to the people the condemned Jesus Christ.
3. The third stop is the first exhaustion of the slave, when, under the weight of the cross, he fell to his feet. It is marked by a Catholic chapel , built after the Second World War.
4. Further the path moves to the fourth stop, where the meeting with the mother took place. Here the Virgin Mary watched the sufferings of her son. At this place is the Armenian Church of Our Lady of the Martyr , where at the entrance there is a convex image of that last meeting.
5. The next stop tells how the Roman soldiers showed their anger, and that the cross was transferred from Jesus Christ to Simon the Cyrenian. Here is the Franciscan chapel , which has a hollow in the wall in the form of Jesus' hand, he leans on her to take off and pass on his burden.
6. The sixth station characterizes the meeting with Veronica, this girl wiped Jesus' face with her handkerchief. Thanks to this act she was ranked among the saints. Subsequently, this handkerchief became a thing that was used in miraculous rituals, he is kept in the cathedral of St. Peter in Rome. The stop is marked by the chapel of St. Veronica , where her home was presumably located.
7. The next stop is the second exhaustion of Jesus, according to legend, the way out of the city had a threshold through which Jesus Christ stumbled. Here are the Judgment Gate , through which the condemned were taken out, and they no longer had the opportunity to return to the city.
8. The eighth station is located near the doors of Jerusalem , where Christ decided to address the people and say that he should not be mourned. This was interpreted as a prediction that soon the city of Jerusalem would not.
9. The ninth station was the next stop of Jesus , from here he saw his place of execution on Mount Calvary .
10. The last five stations are transferred to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher . The tenth stop is located at the entrance near the Exposition Chapel , where the clothes from the crucified Savior were torn off.
11. Eleventh station is indicated by the arrival to the cross. On this place is placed the altar , above which rises the image of a tragic ritual.
12. The twelfth stop - the place where the cross stood and death took place, you can touch the summit of Mount Calvary through the hole in the altar.
13. The next stop is the removal from the cross, this place is indicated by the Latin altar . The body was laid on this space for anointing before burial.
14. The last stop is the position of the body in the coffin. Here Joseph puts the body of Jesus in a crypt , and the entrance is closed with a huge stone, and later on this place the resurrection of the Lord will occur.

How to get there?

To get to the top of this tourist route, you should get to the Lion Gate, located in the Muslim quarter. They can be reached from the central bus station on buses 1, 6, 13A, 20 and 60.