The NGO Servare et Manere is also dedicated to the promotion of cultural and historical monuments in Slovakia, including their restoration and reconstruction. Throughout its history, the association has been involved in several international projects and is also involved in publishing activities. There are several small wayside shrines in the cadastre of the city of Žilina, some of which have disappeared, some have been reconstructed and others require restoration. Our association pais attention to these monuments of small sacral architecture and decided to reconstruct one of the buildings to its original form. We picked a wayside shrine (In German: Bildstock) for rescue, which is located on the walking route next to the road to the “Paľova búda” on Univerzitná Street. The small church building stands to the historic pilgrimage route to the village of Višňové. We are currently working on historical research and a suitable proposal for the restoration of a historical monument. The restored building will also include a replica of the original statue of the Virgin Mary, which has disappeared in recent decades and will probably never be found again.
The wayside shrine at this place is already drawn on the historical map of Žilina from the author Michal Ruttkay-Nedecký from 1747. It is the oldest detailed map of the city. Object, resp. its core can therefore be dated to the middle of the 18th century. The wayside shrine is also drawn as a brick object on the letters of the First Military Mapping, known as the Josephine Mapping (completed during the reign of Emperor Joseph II). It was performed on the territory of Slovakia in the years 1769 and 1782 – 1784. Žilina and its surroundings were mapped in 1769. The wayside shrine is marked with a green arrow on the map in the gallery. This is the first building that Servare et Manere acquired into its ownership.
