The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising.[1] Over the generations, not only crosses and crucifixes, but statues of the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990[2] and 100,000 in 2006.[3] It is a major site of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990, the practice of Lithuanian cross-crafting became very popular.[13] Visitors were able to make crosses out of small twigs and rocks and tie them together with grass,[14] in order to show their support. Due to the symbolism of cross-crafting during the Soviet occupation, UNESCO named Lithuanian cross-crafting in the lists of good safeguarding practices and intangible cultural heritage.[15] The hill stood as a testament to the Lithuanian people's determination to preserve their religious and national identity during these times. As a result, in the post-Soviet years, the number of crosses exploded. Free from religious oppression, the Lithuanian public was able to practice their religious beliefs without fear of persecution. Due to its religious significance, it became a site of catholic pilgrimage. On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a place for hope, peace, love, and sacrifice. In 2000, a Franciscan hermitage was opened nearby. The interior decoration draws links with La Verna, the mountain where St. Francis is said to have received his stigmata