Cerro Calvario
| Cerro Calvario | ||
|---|---|---|
 Cerro Calvario from the east, Copacabana in front |
||
| height | 4011 m | |
| location | Copacabana Peninsula , Bolivia | |
| Mountains | To the | |
| Coordinates | 16 ° 9 ′ 42 ″ S , 69 ° 5 ′ 30 ″ W | |
|
||
| Normal way | Way of the Cross | |
| particularities | Pilgrimage destination | |
 From the south |
||
The Cerro Calvario (German: Kalvarienberg ) is a 4011 m high hill near the Bolivian city of Copacabana . It was considered a holy mountain even before the rule of the Inca and is still a popular pilgrimage destination today .
topography
The Cerro Calvario is located on the west bank of the Copacabana Peninsula in Lake Titicaca . In the north and west it drops directly to the lake at approx. 3810 m , in the south-east lies the city of Copacabana. The area belongs to the department of La Paz .
The south side of the mountain is rather rugged and rocky. The north side is a bit flatter, here agriculture is also practiced in the lower elevations. Apart from that, the Calvario is only covered by sparse vegetation.
Religious meaning
The mountain was already a popular pilgrimage destination under the rule of the Qulla . From here the mythical cat's head Titicaca was worshiped, to which human and animal sacrifices were also made in the course of fertility rites. The Inca built this cult into their sun worship and made Lake Titicaca the most important center of their faith. Later these rituals were overlaid by Christian symbols and the cat's head cult was replaced by Catholic Marian veneration , the center of which is the golden statue of the Virgin Mary on the summit of Cerro Calvario. In particular, on pilgrimages to the Madonna, small, symbolic objects (houses, cars, etc., mostly made of plastic, which are sold here) are brought to the blessing, which should thereby become reality. The summit is climbed via a path of the cross leading up from the east , another path leads from the south to the summit. Long processions with candles and statues of saints are held here on Good Friday . Pre-Christian rites have been preserved in the form of divination and the ritual use of coca leaves .
literature
- Karl Gratzl: The Mountain Myth. Lexicon of the important mountains from mythology, cultural history and religion . Hollinek, Purkersdorf 2000, ISBN 3-85119-280-X , p. 63-64 .
Web links
Individual evidence
photos
Pilgrims on the Calvario
At the summit
From the southeast
