Szpitalny kościół ŚW. Ducha W Wiślicy W świetle inwentarzy Z lat 1590-1639

• Authors: Klubiński Andrzej

Title variants

EN

The Holy Ghost Hospital church in Wiślica in the light of probate inventories from 1590-1639

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

development of churches and chapels attached to medieval and early modern hospitals was in answer to many different social needs. While medieval and early modern religious practice made it necessary to provide spiritual care to inmates of hospices and a place where religious duties would be performed, they also had other functions. Hospital churches were the place which served the local community and were endowed by its members with legacies made to obtain support in the prayers of the inmates. A hospital church would not necessarily remain outside the mainstream of social life and limit its activity only to the life of the hospital institution. The holy Ghost hospital church of Wiślica was a typical medieval religious institution. Its continued in existence until early 19th century, its building was dismantled in 1822. The church owed its special position in the hier¬archy of the town’s institutions to its administrators. The town council took part in administering the establishment and the church was traditionally in care of canons of the collegiate church of Wiślica. As such it had ties to two ele- vated circles of the community and enjoyed considerable prestige. Our current level of knowledge of the hospital and church is rather modest. The building is known at present only from a late 18th century drawing. With written sources similarly limited, past analyses based mainly on archaeological studies the scope of which was too limited to allow a fuller interpretation. A recently discovered source on the church are handwritten notes in Missalepro itinemntibus which, starting from the 16th century, was property of the holy Ghost hospital church. In them we find a substantial amount of detailed information on liturgical duties of the church and on its movables. The notes have the form of three probate inventories written by the provosts of the holy Ghost church between 1590 and 1639. The earliest inventory was drawn up in 1598 by Jakub verginius, canon of Wiślica, provost of the holy Ghost hospital church. It lists in an orderly fashion the furnishings of the church and its liturgical duties towards the donors. The next inventory, written in 1612, is by Stanisław Żakowic, successor of verginius, who drew it up on the day of coming into office as provost. This inventory includes a list of movable property of the church and its current religious obligations. The third inventory was drawn up in 1639 by Marcin Mazurkiewicz of “Pierzchała” coat of arms, the next church provost. The three inventories record changes which took place in the furnishings of the church over a relatively brief period between 1590 and 1639, documenting its appearance and investments of 1590,1598,1612,1616 and 1639. The degree of detail and frequency of the entries make it possible to reconstruct the interior of the church and, as a next step, specify its functions and significance. The comparison of the inventories shows that over time the regular furnishings of the church were replaced by increasingly valuable items. The church would have profited from being administered by the town council. Late in the 16th and during the first half of the 17th c. the institution, most likely thanks to the canons of Wiślica, was outstanding also in terms of liturgical practice. The significance of the holy Ghost church provides certain insight on the status of its churchyard. The furnishing of the hospital church with holy relics and the fact that the church was a shrine of a venerated image of holy Mary suggests that the local churchyard may also have been used more widely than just by the regular inmates of the hospital. Researchers noted in the past a number of burials of children. During the 16th century six children had been living in the institution; this suggests that the hospital may have also been a house for foundlings. Information on adult burials is too scant for their fuller interpretation. The location of the cemetery outside the city walls ensured sanitary safety to the inhabitants of Wiślica but did not detract from high prestige enjoyed by the institution itself - both by reason of religious life, by it being the place of residence of a venerated image of holy Mary and religious service given by the respected members of the church circles.

• Publisher: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
• Journal: Światowit
• Year: 2012
• Volume: Tom VII (XLVIII), fasc. B
• Pages: 77-82

Contributors

author

Klubiński Andrzej