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Church of Jesuit St Francis Xavier in Grodno. Architecture and Interior Design
Languages of publication
Abstracts
Church of the Jesuit St Francis Xavier constitutes the major archaeological landmark of the City of Grodno. Its historic architecture is more than three hundred years old. On 15th of December 1990 Pope John Paul II conferred the status of the Minor Basilica upon this Church. Since 1991 this former Jesuit Church has been the Cathedral of the Diocese of Grodno. The foundation stone of the Jesuit Church was blessed by Bishop Mikołaj Słupski on 21st of June 1678. The consecration took place on 6th of December 1705 and was performed by Chełm Bishop Teodor Potocki in the presence of King Augustus II and Tsar Peter the Great. The Church is situated in the centre of the city, nearby the old marketplace. The building was erected on a longitudinal plan in the form of the Latin cross following the style of two-tower and three-aisled basilica with a transept and a dome. It has the two-tower, three-storey façade; the total height of the second and third storey is smaller than the height of the first storey. There are recesses with wooden statues of Saint Francis Xavier (in the middle of the third storey of the facade) and Saints Peter and Paul in the side-arched recesses (on the second storey). There are thirteen altars in the Church: the high altar and twelve side altars. The Altar of Saint Michael the Archangel (in the North Chapel), the Altar of the Congregational Mother of God (Virgin Mary for students), that is situated in the South Chapel, is the only brick altar in this Church. The Altar of Saint Trinity that is situated by the north-east pillar of the dome. The Altar of the Holy Rosary is by the south-east pillar of the dome. The Altar of Saint Stanisław Kostka is situated in the north wing of the transept. The Altar of Saint Kazimierz is found in the south wing of the transept, opposite to the Altar of Saint Stanisław Kostka. The remaining six side altars are situated by the pillars of the nave: the Altar of Saint Tadeusz, the Altar of Scourged Saviour, the Altar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Altar of Józefat Kuncewicz, the Altar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Altar of Saint Joseph. The High Altar of Saint Francis Xavier is situated in the presbytery, in the apse of the main nave. It was made from painted wood imitating stone. Johan Christian Schmidt was the author of the High Altar in the Parish Church of Grodno. Above the arcades of the main nave and the presbytery, there are fourteen frescoes in the shape of lying rectangles of 1.5×4.5 m. in size. They present the scenes from the life of Saint Francis Xavier. One of the mural paintings bears the signature: B.I.D.P. 1752. The pulpit was made forty years later than the side altars – as far as both sculptural modelling and colour scheme are concerned. It follows the rococo style. The flooring in the Church is made of Swedish stone. The flooring incorporates seven floor slabs closing off the entry to burial crypts made of the same kind of stone. In 2006 the fire damaged the substantial part of the High Altar, and four sculptures were completely destroyed. The Altar has been conserved. It was painted grey-and-blue to look like a marble. Some elements were also gilded. It was re-opened in 2011.
Year
Volume
Pages
35-53
Physical description
Dates
published
2021-01-18
Contributors
author
References
Document Type
Publication order reference
Identifiers
YADDA identifier
bwmeta1.element.ojs-doi-10_31743_abmk_11952
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