Za križen — digital procession guide
A digital home for living heritage, connecting the procession’s story, circular route, chants, testimonies and current information.
A tradition connecting six communities
The Za križen procession cannot be reduced to a date and a programme. On the night from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, six processions set out simultaneously from Jelsa, Pitve, Vrisnik, Svirče, Vrbanj and Vrboska, follow a circular route through central Hvar and return to their parish churches in the morning. The Za križen procession was inscribed in 2009 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Its digital presentation therefore needed to respect its religious and communal character while remaining clear to people encountering it for the first time.
Lasting material and current information
The information architecture separates the material explaining the procession from content that changes each year. An introduction, historical context, musical heritage and practical information form the foundation, while the blog gathers schedules, profiles of cross-bearers, interviews and news. Search and a dedicated English version shorten the path to content for different audiences.
Route, sound and testimony
The procession cannot be conveyed through text alone. The website therefore connects visitors with the route map, live camera, virtual tour and video, while a dedicated section presents recordings of Gospin plač and other Holy Week chants together with performers and production credits. Interviews with people who carry and sustain the tradition add a personal voice to the historical and specialist material.
A visual rhythm that gives the story time
Large documentary photographs, a clear heading hierarchy and a measured reading rhythm give long-form content room without turning the heritage into spectacle. Visitors can begin with the essentials, explore an individual theme or follow current posts while retaining a sense of the procession as a living religious tradition.
Result
History, route, chants, interviews, the gallery and current information are connected in one place. The website works both as an introduction for new visitors and as a lasting home for material that can continue to be recorded and expanded over time.