Pilgrimage to the Mother of God
As early as the 7th or 8th century AD, a small shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary had a special significance in Bled Island’s history. Even in the preserved tales and legends about the origin of the island, the central place is the modest chapel that is supposed to be protected by the Creator with a mighty lake against grazing livestock.
Initially, the shrine was supposed to be wooden, but later it was rebuilt several times. Even today, it is possible to admire the sacral artistic heritage in the Church of the Assumption of Mary. Some Gothic elements have been preserved, and after two major earthquakes, the church regained its current Baroque appearance at the end of the 17th century.
In addition to the windows, the frescoes in the ”baroquified “Gothic presbytery remind us of the Gothic in the church. In the second half of the 17th century, altar oil paintings were painted, and the Stations of the Cross were created in the late Baroque period.
On the main altar, there is the statue of the Mother of God, Queen of the lake, with the Child in her arms. Next to it, on each side, we can find the statues of the Holy Emperor Henry II and his wife, the Holy Empress Kunigunda. God the Creator is depicted on top of the gilded altar. The side stone altars from the end of the 17th century depict St. Mary Magdalene and St. Blaise.
At the altar of the side chapels, however, we can venerate the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, as well as St. Joachim and St. Anne.
Statue of St. Mary Magdalene
The baroque statue of St. Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of pilgrimages, greets visitors on Bled Island and invites them to conversion. St. Mary Magdalene is depicted with a vessel with oil and a vessel with tears of repentance.
Gothic Lighthouse
Along the southern part of the church apse, a Gothic lighthouse is located on the axis of the passage between the church and the entrance to the bell tower. It is a freestanding pillar or pillar with a characteristic open, tabernacle-like extension, in which the eternal light for faithful souls once burned.
In the church tower
In the tower above the church nave, we can find the Wishing Bell that was forged in 1543. It has attracted pilgrims and other visitors from far and near for centuries. That is why the ringing, still, echoes across the lake and carries to heaven the thanksgiving and invocations for the Mother of God.
Many visitors to the shrine, who have always gone on pilgrimage to the island, love the Wishing Bell. When they ring the bell, they commend themselves to the Mother of God and hand over their wishes and requests in faith that she will fulfil them.
