The Way of the Cross begins just a few hundred yards from the birthplace of Mary. Remember the Christians were not allowed to practice their faith till the year 313 and later, for centuries, they were not really free to visit the Holy Land, so there was no "Way of the Cross" devotion for a long time. The devotion spread in Europe with the fourteen stations that we know. When they were free in Holy Land - Jerusalem to set up the Way of the Cross, they added some stations to follow the pattern in Europe.

The Bible speaks only of the following stations:

1. Flagellation  Mt 27:26
2. Crowning with Thorn
3. Condemnation Mt 26:26 6.
4 Carrying of the Cross Mt 27:31 1- 7.
5. Simon of Cyrene Mt 27:32
6. Women of Jerusalem Lk 23:28
7. Crucifixion Mt 27:35
8.Taken down from the Cross Mt 27:29 
9. Placed in the Tomb Mt 27:60
          
Way of the Cross

Chapel of Flagellation: with a statue of the scourging, and the "Ecce Homo" "Behold the Man" Chapel of Crowning with Thorns: the Crown of Thorns in the ceiling and on the Tabernacle instruments of the Passion on the outside - upper band

1st Station: condemnation, now across the street in the school-yard with a window on the Temple Mount
Since Jesus carried the cross there has been a lot of construction; the way is full of all kinds of business, is on both sides of a very narrow street, about ten feet wide, with all kinds of goods on display all along - food, dresses, luggage, jewelry, fish, sweetshops, etc. with displays often expanding from the storefront into the narrow street. This is the only way for the Way of the Cross, and business goes on as usual - but, thank God, there is silence, respect when you go by in procession

Calvary

Calvary, the most sacred place on earth, where the Son of God died to pay for our sins and
ransomed humanity.

On Calvary there are three main areas:

1. a representation of Jesus on the cross, his Mother Mary, John

2. the nailing on the cross

3. the Mother with her heart pierced by the sword

11th Station the nailing
12th Station in the center, the crucifixion, altar used by Orthodox  
13th Station the Pieta, two altars for Catholics

For a long time the floor was covered with marble, with a slit in the floor over the crack of the earthquake, in the bedrock between the cross ofJesus and the bad thief. Today the whole top is plate glass, so the crack made by the earthquake is very visible and can be seen all the way down below in the Chapel of Adam and Eve, to show clearly how Jesus paid for every sin, starting with the original sin and every other sin of all humanity.

Here we need to spend a lot of time in deep prayer of thanksgiving.