The Via Dolorosa

A journey After Jesus’ footsteps

Via Dolorosa in the old city is the path of Jesus from the place of his trial to his crucifixion place. It is called in the Christian tradition ‘the way of agony’. Via Dolorosa begins at the site of the trial, from where Jesus walked with the cross on his back to the place of the crucifixion – Golgotha Hill, identified by most churches as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The road has become a significant attraction frequented by tourists and pilgrims alike.

On Fridays at noon, a march of Franciscan monks leaves from the first stop of Via Dolorosa, followed by many believers along the way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

More about Via Dolorosa

Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on the eve of Passover, accompanied by his disciples. After he dined with his disciples, they went to Gethsemane, where Jesus was captured and handed over to the Romans. Jesus was then tried by the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate and sentenced to death by crucifixion.

This event occurred at the end of the Second Temple period, but the tradition that identifies the way of agony here was later formulated in the 13th century. Along the way, fourteen stations indicate events mentioned in the New Testament and later traditions. The last five stops on the ‘Via Dolorosa’ are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.