Vandalism hits UNESCO-listed Kalwaria Zebrzydowska shrine in Poland

In May 2024 two historic chapels within the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sanctuary were defaced with blasphemous, satanic‑style inscriptions. The sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site that draws over a million pilgrims each year, suffered damage to objects listed on the heritage register since 1999. Prosecutors in Wadowice are treating the act as damage to cultural property of special significance and an offense against religious feelings, which carries a possible sentence of up to ten years in prison. Bernardine nuns who oversee the shrine issued a statement condemning the attack, describing it as “an assault on our shared history and values.” No suspect has been identified and the investigation continues.