Church of the Holy Sacrament, Warsaw
Encyclopedia
St. Kazimierz Church is a Roman Catholic church in Warsaw
's New Town
at Rynek Nowego Miasta 2 (New Town Market Place, no. 2).
Church was originally the Kotowski Palace
, residence of the Wyszogród
stolnik
, Adam Kotowski. In 1688 it was purchased by Queen Maria Kazimiera Sobieska to be transformed into a church to serve the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, whom she had brought to Poland.
In 1688-92 the Kotowski residence was transformed into a church-cum-cloister, to a design by the leading Polish-Dutch
architect Tylman Gamerski
. As was done with most of the buildings that were reconstructed after the Deluge, Tylman designed the church in Palladian style.
Between 1718 and 1721 the trompe-l'œil altars of St. Casimir and Virgin Mary
were sponsored by Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł, voivode of Vilnius
. In 1718 the church furnishings was completed with a profuse late baroque pulpit
in the shape of a flower
and between 1745 and 1748 with rococo
organ
. The significant additions in the second half of the 18th century were tombstones of the members of the Sobieski family
- Maria Karolina Sobieska de Bouillon (the granddaughter of John III of Poland
) and Maria Józefa Sobieska. In 1769 former 17th century tabernacle
was repladed with a new marble one decorated with silver
. During the Kościuszko Uprising
the nuns donated to the army some of the church equipment - 12 silver candlestick
s from Augsburg
, 5 gilded reliquaries
, 52 precious votives and 4 statues of angels from the main altar - 412 silver grzywnas
worth.
In World War II
, during the Warsaw Uprising
, like nearby St. Hyacinth's Church
, St. Kazimierz was used as a hospital. The nuns housed many civilians in the church and cellars and gave medical aid as well as they could. In August 1944 they decided to suspend their rules to assist wounded insurgents. Because of this decision the German military targeted the church and the cloister for heavy bombing. During a single raid on August 31, 1944, four priests, 35 nuns and over a thousand civilians sheltering in the church's crypt were killed. Sobieska's magnificent church and cloister were completely destroyed.
The church was reconstructed in 1947-53, but the Kotowski Palace
was never restored.
Designed by Tylman Gamerski, the church consists of a large dome atop a basic Greek cross
design. The facade is baroque, although the interior is completely modern, because very few of the original furnishings of the church were preserved. Inside, preserved fragments of a brilliant tomb monument of Maria Karolina Sobieska de Bouillon carved by Lorenzo Mattielli
in white and black marble in 1746, is the most valuable element of the original church's decoration. The effigy of the founder in oval frame was placed atop the plinth
with Janina coat of arms and a royal crown. The whole composition was completed with carved statues of the personification of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and a putto
, while the arcade
above was adorned with skull
s. The tombstone was reconstructed in 1961 by Antoni Szymanowski.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
's New Town
Warsaw New Town
Warsaw's New Town is a neighbourhood dating from the 15th century. It lies just north of the Old Town and is connected to it by ulica Freta , which begins at the Barbican...
at Rynek Nowego Miasta 2 (New Town Market Place, no. 2).
History
St. CasimirSaint Casimir
Saint Casimir Jagiellon was a royal prince of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who became a patron saint of Lithuania, Poland, and the young.-Biography:...
Church was originally the Kotowski Palace
Kotowski Palace
Kotowski Palace was a 17th-century palace in Warsaw, Poland. It served as a main cloister building for sisters of Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.-History:...
, residence of the Wyszogród
Wyszogród
Wyszogród is a town in Poland, in Masovian Voivodship, in Płock County, by the Vistula River. The population of Wyszogród was 2,793 in 2004.-History:...
stolnik
Stolnik
Stolnik was a court office in Poland and Muscovy, responsible for serving the royal table.- Stolnik in Crown of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania : In Crown of Poland under the first Piast dukes and kings, this was a court office....
, Adam Kotowski. In 1688 it was purchased by Queen Maria Kazimiera Sobieska to be transformed into a church to serve the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, whom she had brought to Poland.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
architect Tylman Gamerski
Tylman van Gameren
Tylman van Gameren was a Dutch-born Polish architect and engineer who, at the age of 28, settled in Poland and worked for Queen Maria Kazimiera, wife of Poland's King Jan III Sobieski...
. As was done with most of the buildings that were reconstructed after the Deluge, Tylman designed the church in Palladian style.
Between 1718 and 1721 the trompe-l'œil altars of St. Casimir and Virgin Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
were sponsored by Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł, voivode of Vilnius
Vilnius Voivodeship
The Vilnius Voivodeship was one of voivodeships in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, created in 1413, from the Duchy of Lithuania and neighbouring lands.- Geography and administrative division :...
. In 1718 the church furnishings was completed with a profuse late baroque pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
in the shape of a flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
and between 1745 and 1748 with rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. The significant additions in the second half of the 18th century were tombstones of the members of the Sobieski family
Sobieski family
Sobieski family of Janina coat of arms, also known as House of Sobieski due to their royalty connections, were a notable family of Polish nobility. According to the family's legend, disproved by modern historians, it traced its lineage to Polish duke, Leszek II the Black...
- Maria Karolina Sobieska de Bouillon (the granddaughter of John III of Poland
John III Sobieski
John III Sobieski was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, from 1674 until his death King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Sobieski's 22-year-reign was marked by a period of the Commonwealth's stabilization, much needed after the turmoil of the Deluge and...
) and Maria Józefa Sobieska. In 1769 former 17th century tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
was repladed with a new marble one decorated with silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
. During the Kościuszko Uprising
Kosciuszko Uprising
The Kościuszko Uprising was an uprising against Imperial Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in Poland, Belarus and Lithuania in 1794...
the nuns donated to the army some of the church equipment - 12 silver candlestick
Candlestick
A candlestick, chamberstick, or candelabrum is a holder for one or more candles, used for illumination, rituals, or decorative purposes. The name 'candlestick' derives from the fact that it is usually tall and stick-shaped.Candlesticks are also called candle holders...
s from Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, 5 gilded reliquaries
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
, 52 precious votives and 4 statues of angels from the main altar - 412 silver grzywnas
Grzywna (unit)
The grzywna was a measure of weight, mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout medieval central Europe, in particular Poland, Bohemia and the Rus lands. Grzywna was also a unit of measure of a unit of exchange, and as such used as money. There were several different grzywnas such as the...
worth.
In 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...
, during the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
, like nearby St. Hyacinth's Church
St. Hyacinth's Church, Warsaw
-History:St. Hyacinth's Church was founded by the Dominican Order and adjoins Warsaw's largest monastery. The church is a mixture of Renaissance and early-Baroque styles. Its construction began in 1603 and was completed in 1639....
, St. Kazimierz was used as a hospital. The nuns housed many civilians in the church and cellars and gave medical aid as well as they could. In August 1944 they decided to suspend their rules to assist wounded insurgents. Because of this decision the German military targeted the church and the cloister for heavy bombing. During a single raid on August 31, 1944, four priests, 35 nuns and over a thousand civilians sheltering in the church's crypt were killed. Sobieska's magnificent church and cloister were completely destroyed.
The church was reconstructed in 1947-53, but the Kotowski Palace
Kotowski Palace
Kotowski Palace was a 17th-century palace in Warsaw, Poland. It served as a main cloister building for sisters of Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.-History:...
was never restored.
Interior
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
design. The facade is baroque, although the interior is completely modern, because very few of the original furnishings of the church were preserved. Inside, preserved fragments of a brilliant tomb monument of Maria Karolina Sobieska de Bouillon carved by Lorenzo Mattielli
Lorenzo Mattielli
Lorenzo Mattielli was an Italian sculptor from the Late Baroque period. His name has also variously been written as Matielli, Mattiely, Matthielli, and Mathielli...
in white and black marble in 1746, is the most valuable element of the original church's decoration. The effigy of the founder in oval frame was placed atop the plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
with Janina coat of arms and a royal crown. The whole composition was completed with carved statues of the personification of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and a putto
Putto
A putto is a figure of an infant often depicted as a young male. Putti are defined as chubby, winged or wingless, male child figure in nude. Putti are distinct from cherubim, but some English-speakers confuse them with each other, except that in the plural, "the Cherubim" refers to the biblical...
, while the arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
above was adorned with skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
s. The tombstone was reconstructed in 1961 by Antoni Szymanowski.
See also
- Kotowski PalaceKotowski PalaceKotowski Palace was a 17th-century palace in Warsaw, Poland. It served as a main cloister building for sisters of Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.-History:...
- St. Hyacinth's ChurchSt. Hyacinth's Church, Warsaw-History:St. Hyacinth's Church was founded by the Dominican Order and adjoins Warsaw's largest monastery. The church is a mixture of Renaissance and early-Baroque styles. Its construction began in 1603 and was completed in 1639....
- St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church, WarsawThe Church of the Visitation of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary , otherwise known as St. Mary's Church is a church in Warsaw, Poland. It is one of oldest buildings and one of the few surviving examples of Gothic architecture in the city. It is located at ulica Przyrynek 2.-History:St. Mary's Church...
- St. Florian's CathedralSt. Florian's CathedralSt. Florian's Cathedral, more formally known as the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr , is a Catholic church and historical landmark at ul. Floriańska 3 in eastern Warsaw. The 75-meter towers of St...