Franciscan Church, Zamość
Encyclopedia
Church of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary commonly known as the Franciscan Church is a Baroque
Franciscan church in the Old Town in Zamość
dedicated to the Annunciation
. The biggest temple in Zamość (56-meter long and 29-meter wide) was regarded as one of the most prominent 17th century churches in Poland.
in 1637, and was founded by Jan "Sobiepan" Zamoyski. It was erected in Baroque style on the site of the former Bourse
, an association of merchants. The construction work began under Jan Jaroszewicz and Jan Wolff between 1637-1665, and was completed by the artillery
major Jan Michał Link (Linek) of Prawdzic coat of arms
between 1680-1685.
The structure, taller and bigger than the other temples in the city (even larger than Zamość Cathedral), consisted of three aisle
s, a semicircular chancel
and two side chapel
s. The interior of the church was decorated with a profuse polychromy and sculptures. The present site of Liberty Square was occupied by a Franciscan monastery, and in the north-western corner the bell tower was erected.
The greatest changes occurred during the Partitions of Poland
in 1784, after the takeover of the city by the Austrian, when the order was suppressed. During the period of modernization in the Zamość Fortress
under Russian rule, the church building was turned into a military store. The interior was divided into tiers, the bell tower and the monastery have been torn down slightly later. The most significant changes in the building outer appearance, occurred in 1887, when the roof was lowered, the high peaks were pulled down and the vaulting inside the church was changed into a simple slab.
Then the church building was used by numerous institutions, including County Council, museum or cinema, which was located here until 1994. After World War II the Fine Arts High School occupied the western part of the building. In 1993, the structure was retrieved by the Franciscan friars, who started its reconstruction.
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
Franciscan church in the Old Town in Zamość
Zamosc
Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine...
dedicated to the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
. The biggest temple in Zamość (56-meter long and 29-meter wide) was regarded as one of the most prominent 17th century churches in Poland.
History
The construction of one of the largest 17th century Polish churches, has started with arriving in the city of the Franciscan friarsFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
in 1637, and was founded by Jan "Sobiepan" Zamoyski. It was erected in Baroque style on the site of the former Bourse
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
, an association of merchants. The construction work began under Jan Jaroszewicz and Jan Wolff between 1637-1665, and was completed by the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
major Jan Michał Link (Linek) of Prawdzic coat of arms
Prawdzic coat of arms
Prawdzic - is a Polish Coat of Arms. It was used by the nobility clans and later szlachta families in the times of the Kingdom of Poland and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-History:-Notable bearers:...
between 1680-1685.
The structure, taller and bigger than the other temples in the city (even larger than Zamość Cathedral), consisted of three aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s, a semicircular chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and two side chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s. The interior of the church was decorated with a profuse polychromy and sculptures. The present site of Liberty Square was occupied by a Franciscan monastery, and in the north-western corner the bell tower was erected.
The greatest changes occurred during the Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
in 1784, after the takeover of the city by the Austrian, when the order was suppressed. During the period of modernization in the Zamość Fortress
Zamosc Fortress
Zamość Fortress is a set of fortifications constructed together with the city of Zamość . It was built between 1579 and 1618, and the construction was initiated by Chancellor and Hetman Jan Zamoyski...
under Russian rule, the church building was turned into a military store. The interior was divided into tiers, the bell tower and the monastery have been torn down slightly later. The most significant changes in the building outer appearance, occurred in 1887, when the roof was lowered, the high peaks were pulled down and the vaulting inside the church was changed into a simple slab.
Then the church building was used by numerous institutions, including County Council, museum or cinema, which was located here until 1994. After World War II the Fine Arts High School occupied the western part of the building. In 1993, the structure was retrieved by the Franciscan friars, who started its reconstruction.