The monument of the Three Crosses in Vilnius

Perched above the boulevards of Vilnius, the Hill of Three Crosses is a prominent landmark in Kalnai Park. The site is home to a monument of three highly-visible white crosses commemorating Franciscan friars. According to a legend that spread from the early 16th century, seven friars were beheaded on the hill after residents burned their monastery. While the legend is debated by historians, the story may be an embellishment of accounts of martyrs from the 14th century.

The history of the site dates back to the 17th century when wooden crosses were built on the hill sometime before 1649. These wooden structures became a symbol of the city's skyline until they collapsed in 1869. Because the Tsarist authorities did not allow them to be rebuilt, a new monument made of reinforced concrete was designed by Antoni Wiwulski and erected in August 1916. However, this monument was later dynamited by Soviet authorities on May 30, 1950.

Following the Lithuanian independence movement, the monument was rebuilt in 1989 by sculptor Stanislovas Kuzma based on a project by Henrikas Šilgalis. The current crosses are 1.8 metres higher than the 1916 version, and broken pieces of the old monument can still be seen several meters below the new one. Visitors can stand at a small observation deck at the base of the crosses to enjoy a panorama of the Vilnius Old Town.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons