At this site the Roman soldiers forced passersby to offer assistance to those who had been sentenced, as they began the final ascent towards the crucifixion hill.
This is the Chapel of Simon of Cyrene. To the right of the lintel, near the corner of the wall at shoulder height, is a smooth stone with a hollow.
According to Christian tradition this hollow was an imprint made when Jesus stumbled and rested his hand upon the wall to keep his balance, and the touch of centuries of pilgrims has smoothed out the stone and made the depression deeper.
The chapel belongs to the Franciscans, as indicated by the symbol on the building’s façade: The “Jerusalem cross” consisting of one large cross with four smaller crosses in either corner, the cross that was adopted by the Franciscan order; and the symbol of the Franciscans depicting the crossed arms of Jesus and St. Francis of Assisi underneath a dove that symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
