Dominican Church, Lviv
Encyclopedia
The Dominican church and monastery in Lviv
, Ukraine
is located in the city's Old Town
, east of the market square. It was originally built as the Roman Catholic church of Corpus Christi, and today serves as the Greek Catholic church of the Holy Eucharist.
first arrived in Lviv during the 13th century and the first wooden church is said to have been built in 1234 within the Low Castle, founded by the wife of Leo I of Halych
. That church burned down during a war in 1340. A new Gothic
church, resembling the parish church in Kazimierz Dolny
, was built on the present site in 1378 and later rebuilt after a fire in 1407 along with the monastery buildings. During the 16th century the complex was ravaged by several fires, nevertheless it continued to gradually rise in prosperity. In the 18th century the churches ceiling started cracking and it was decided in 1745 that the church has to be taken apart and replaced with a new one.
In 1749 Józef Potocki
laid the cornerstone for the present day Baroque
church, commonly attributed to Jan de Witte
. The church was consecrated in 1764 by the Latin archbishop of Lviv Wacław Hieronim Sierakowski. The Dominicans managed to safely survive through the reign of the Austrian emperor Joseph II, who closed many other monasteries. In 1865 a neo-baroque
bell tower was added to the complex. In the years 1885-1914 a controversial renovation of the facade and interior was carried out.
After World War II
the complex was occupied by soviets, used as warehouse and in the 1970s changed into a museum of religion and atheism. With the collapse of the soviet union the church was given to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
and now serves as a parish church, the monastery however has not been returned yet and still serves as a museum (renamed as the museum of religion).
The church resembles the church of St. Charles Borromeus
in Vienna
. It's built on the plan of the Greek Cross inscribed in an ellipsoid and topped with a monumental dome.
Before 1946 the church contained a wonder working icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, crowned by Pope Benedict XIV in 1751, which can today be found in the Dominican church of St. Nicholas in Gdańsk
and an alabaster figure brought by St. Hyacinth
from Mongol sacked Kiev
to Halych
and later to Lviv, today can be found in the church of St. Giles in Kraków
.
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
is located in the city's Old Town
Old Town (Lviv)
Lviv's Old Town is the historic centre of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, in the Lviv Oblast , recognized as the State Historic-Architectural Sanctuary in 1975.-UNESCO:...
, east of the market square. It was originally built as the Roman Catholic church of Corpus Christi, and today serves as the Greek Catholic church of the Holy Eucharist.
History
The Dominican OrderDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
first arrived in Lviv during the 13th century and the first wooden church is said to have been built in 1234 within the Low Castle, founded by the wife of Leo I of Halych
Leo I of Halych
Lev I of Galicia became in turn Knyaz of Belz , Knyaz of Peremyshl, king of Halych and King of Rus' , Grand Prince of Kiev .-Family:...
. That church burned down during a war in 1340. A new Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church, resembling the parish church in Kazimierz Dolny
Kazimierz Dolny
Kazimierz Dolny is a small town in Central Poland, on the right bank of the Vistula river in Puławy County, Lublin Province.It is a considerable tourist attraction as one of the most beautifully situated little towns in Poland. It enjoyed its greatest prosperity in the 16th and the first half of...
, was built on the present site in 1378 and later rebuilt after a fire in 1407 along with the monastery buildings. During the 16th century the complex was ravaged by several fires, nevertheless it continued to gradually rise in prosperity. In the 18th century the churches ceiling started cracking and it was decided in 1745 that the church has to be taken apart and replaced with a new one.
In 1749 Józef Potocki
Józef Potocki
Józef Potocki was a Polish nobleman , magnate, Great Hetman of the Crown.Józef was considered as the richest magnate at that time...
laid the cornerstone for the present day Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
church, commonly attributed to Jan de Witte
Jan de Witte
Jan de Witte was a Polish military engineer, professional officer and architect of Dutch descent. The author of, among others, the Dominican church in Lwów and the Carmelite monastery in Berdyczów , he was also the military commandant of the fortress at Kamieniec Podolski .-Personal...
. The church was consecrated in 1764 by the Latin archbishop of Lviv Wacław Hieronim Sierakowski. The Dominicans managed to safely survive through the reign of the Austrian emperor Joseph II, who closed many other monasteries. In 1865 a neo-baroque
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
bell tower was added to the complex. In the years 1885-1914 a controversial renovation of the facade and interior was carried out.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the complex was occupied by soviets, used as warehouse and in the 1970s changed into a museum of religion and atheism. With the collapse of the soviet union the church was given to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
and now serves as a parish church, the monastery however has not been returned yet and still serves as a museum (renamed as the museum of religion).
The church resembles the church of St. Charles Borromeus
Karlskirche
The St. Charles's Church is a church situated on the south side of Karlsplatz, Vienna. It is located on the edge of the 1st district, 200 metres outside the Ringstraße...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. It's built on the plan of the Greek Cross inscribed in an ellipsoid and topped with a monumental dome.
Before 1946 the church contained a wonder working icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, crowned by Pope Benedict XIV in 1751, which can today be found in the Dominican church of St. Nicholas in Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
and an alabaster figure brought by St. Hyacinth
St. Hyacinth
St. Hyacinth or Saint Hyacinthe may refer to:* Hyacinth and Protus , Christian saints* Saint Hyacinth , Polish priest, canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1594...
from Mongol sacked Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
to Halych
Halych
Halych is a historic city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. The town gave its name to the historic province and kingdom of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, of which it was the capital until the early 14th century, when the seat of the local princes was moved to Lviv...
and later to Lviv, today can be found in the church of St. Giles in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.