The unique Purgatory Chapel of the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross opens to the public

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The precious space of the Purgatory Chapel in the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Litomyšl will be regularly open to the public for the first time in its modern history. Visitors will have the opportunity to see its interior during architectural tours of the Castle Hill and guided tours of the Piarist church.

This season, the Chateau Hill has prepared another historical space, which was inaccessible in the past, for its visitors. For the first time, the public can visit the precious Purgatory Chapel as part of the architectural tours of the Castle Hill and guided tours of the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross. Tours can be booked by calling 727 878 444. In the summer months (June - August), tours are held every Saturday and Sunday from 15:00.

The Purgatory Chapel, as it is also sometimes called, belongs to the Piarist Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross and is closely adjacent to the west wing of the college building, from which the chapel can also be entered. It is a unique monument associated with the development of the so-called Soul Cult in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chapel was completed and consecrated in the autumn of 1732 as part of the Piarist building complex. It was built for the purpose of masses for the deceased and prayers for their souls to shorten their time in purgatory. This purpose required an appropriate environment to inspire respect, humility, but also faith and hope. On the walls, a theatre was performed to teach its audience about sin and punishment, the futility and finality of human existence. However, as the scenes moved upwards, they became more hopeful and at the same time more colourful. These decorations formed the backdrop for the sermon itself, the purpose of which was to provoke self-reflection in the faithful, to enhance the experience of the religious ceremony. The murals depict architectural scenes that are, however, greatly marked by age and material transformation - demolished walls, walled gates, staircases that, due to their decay, no longer allow a way up. Climbing plants grow through the ruined architecture. Upwards, specific biblical statues appear before the viewer. The scenes are placed in five lunettes, which engagingly narrate the hope of salvation that souls in purgatory have. The plea for light, the collection for fallen soldiers, the hope brought by the archangel Michael, as well as the heralding of the fulfillment of time in purgatory are all depicted. One of the most important themes that appears here is the prayer of friends and survivors for the dead and their souls, bringing hope for their early redemption.

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CONSENT TO THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA FOR MARKETING PURPOSES The data subject grants the organisation Zámecké návrší p. o., with registered office at Jiráskova 133, Litomyšl Postal Code 570 01, ID No.: 712 94 058, registered with the Regional Court in Hradec Králové, file number Pr 1251, email contact: info@zamecke-navrsi.cz (hereinafter referred to as the "Controller"), consent to the processing of his/her personal data under the conditions set out below: 1. Personal data and sensitive personal data to be processed: - Title, name and surname, email address, telephone contact. 2: - Sending selected commercial communications offering the services of the controller by all means, including the use of electronic means of communication within the meaning of Act No. 480/2004 Coll., on certain information society services (as amended); - sending invitations to professional seminars, training courses, trade fairs or public events, - sending non-addressed commercial communications, - conducting market research and evaluation, - inclusion in a marketing database for profiling and direct marketing, - conducting segmentation (profiling) to target marketing according to the specific needs of the subject, for example, selecting commercial communications with regard to participation in the activities of the controller, identified preferences, age and other information identified from the subject. Said consent is given voluntarily by the data subject and with the knowledge that he/she may withdraw the consent to the processing of personal data at any time, either in writing or via the website of Zámecký návrší p. o. (Subscription to the above information can be revoked at any time by clicking on the relevant link in the footer of the message or by sending a request to info@zamecke-navrsi.cz). 3. The period of processing of personal data is 2 years from the date of consent or until your consent is withdrawn. Commercial communications by electronic means are only sent unless you refuse them. Personal data cannot be disclosed to the following third parties. The controller is only entitled to use the personal data in accordance with the above-mentioned purpose. Furthermore, the aforementioned Controller is only entitled to disclose personal data to entities cooperating with the Controller to achieve the primary purpose for which this consent is granted. With such entities, the Controller undertakes to enter into a contract containing the same terms and conditions for the processing of my personal data. The processing will be carried out in accordance with the relevant legal norms on the protection of personal data, in particular Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) and the Adaptation Act, Act No. 110/2019 Coll., on the processing of personal data, as amended. The data subject declares that he/she has been duly instructed by the Controller on the processing and protection of personal data, that the above personal data is accurate and true and is provided to the Controller voluntarily. The Data Subject further declares that he/she is aware of all his/her rights under the GDPR: - to be informed, upon request, of what personal data concerning him or her is processed by Zámecké návrší p.o., for what purpose, the nature of any automated processing and the recipients of the data (Article 15 GDPR); - ¬ in the event that the data subject becomes aware or believes that Zámecké návrší p.o. carries out processing of personal data which conflicts with the protection of his or her private and personal life or infringes the GDPR, in particular if the personal data are inaccurate with regard to the purpose of the processing, to request Zámecké návrší p. o. for an explanation and/or to request the rectification of the situation thus created, in particular, it may be a rectification (Article 16 GDPR) or erasure (Article 17 GDPR), or restriction of the processing of personal data (Article 18 GDPR), or to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority, which is the Office for Personal Data Protection; - in the event that the data subject wishes to transfer his/her data to another controller, obtain from Zámecký návrší p.o. personal data whose processing is carried out by automated means and transfer them to another data controller (Article 20 GDPR); - object to the processing of personal data for direct marketing purposes; if he/she objects, the data will no longer be processed for these purposes (Article 21 GDPR). The data subject is aware that providing consent to the processing of the Data for the purposes set out in point 2 of this document is voluntary and is not a condition for entering into a contractual relationship with Zámecké návrší p.o. The Data Subject may also contact the Data Protection Officer of Zámecký návrší p. o. Ing. Klára Hudečková, either electronically to poverenec@litomysl.cz or in writing to the address.