Historical outline

The church in Drohobych is one of the most important Polish buildings in the former Crown lands. The building's evolution, stretching over centuries, resulted not only from numerous acts of modernisation, but also from destruction. At times, the church's fate was even dramatic, with the most barbaric acts of vandalism occurring in the last century. However, in order to take even a cursory look at the historical outline of the building, it is necessary to go back as far as the 14th century, when King Władysław Jagiełło formally erected a Roman Catholic parish in Drohobych. According to legends and some testimonies, it was his predecessor, Casimir the Great, who initiated the establishment of a church in the city, but from a research point of view, this should rather be treated as a loose assumption. It is obvious that the deeper the founding myth goes, the more the prestige of a place or community is raised. However, it is fair to point out that this theory did not come from nowhere. Its veracity can be proven by the inscriptions that exist on the site, but it should be noted that these date from the 18th century. In any case, it was Władysław Jagiełło who, in 1392, issued the privilege that initiated the construction.

According to some sources, it progressed relatively quickly. It is said that about half a century later the body of the temple was already completed. At the beginning of the 16th century (according to canon Frederick Alembeek, who lived 100 years later), the church was destroyed by the Turks. This probably took place either in 1498 or 1507.

The town had to rebuild after the destruction. Therefore, it is known for sure that at the beginning of the century citizens were exempted from taxes for ten years (privileges of Jan Olbracht). It probably took some time to restore the church, which was consecrated in 1511 as the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Cross and St Bartholomew. A further renovation took place in 1524. Over time, the interior of the church was also developed with the addition of more altars and other features. Initially, there was an altar with a painting of Christ Crucified in the preacher's chapel, an altar of St Nicholas and an altar (in the presbytery) with an old painting of the Virgin Mary with St Barbara and St Catherine. Over the following years, the following also appeared in the church: altar of St Mary Magdalene (1526), altar of St Lawrence (mentioned in 1539), altar of the Virgin Mary (1602), altar with the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1612).

Unfortunately, 1648 was the year when Drohobych was captured by the Khmelnytsky uprising and the church was devastated and plundered. After these terrible events, the inhabitants could not afford to take proper care of the building, so they were put under... a curse by the clergy. The curse was not lifted until 1663, but it was also decided that a top-down influence would be exerted on the restoration of the church and that financial support would be provided for this project. The restoration was completed in 1681, and in the early part of the following century further modernisation was carried out and new altars were built. According to a description made on the occasion of a visitation by Bishop Wacław Hieronim Sierakowski, there were as many as thirteen altars in the building in 1743.

In 1760, a choir was added, and twenty years later the shoemakers' guild funded a new altar of the Transfiguration. The end of the century saw a series of further renovations and improvements. Among the additions to the church were the statue of Christ Crucified (1789), stalls, pews, bells and flooring obtained from the cancelled Carmelite church, and the altar of St Anthony (1791). The library was also put in order, musical instruments were purchased and the collection of sheet music began. Renovation of the exterior of the church was also initiated, which in later years resulted, among other things, in the chancel roof being lowered and covered with sheet metal.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a comprehensive but unsuccessful restoration of the church took place. During the work that lasted from 1906 to 1913, several changes were made that are not very well appreciated today. Among other things, the attic, which had been an important part of the building's appearance, was removed. On the other hand, the furnishings were enriched, including the acquisition of two neo-Gothic confessionals, one neo-Baroque confessional, new pews and a number of smaller items.

The First World War was rather kind to the building. Russian soldiers carried out symbolic, by their standards, thefts. The greatest loss was the requisition of four valuable bells from the 16th, 18th and 19th centuries by the Austrians, but new ones were purchased in 1926. In later years, attempts were made to save the deteriorating library collection.

However, it was not possible to save the book collection, which was initially supposed to pass to the Ossolineum, then to the Przemyśl Diocesan Library, but finally information about it was lost in the historical storms. There are fairly plausible speculations that it was destroyed by the Soviets. In the 1930s, on the initiative of Father Kazimierz Kotula, the roof, floor, organ and frescoes were renovated.

In 1949, the church was closed. It is not entirely known what happened to the valuable artefacts and the rich book collection. Some sources reinforce the black legend that the Soviets treated the wooden elements (including the altars) and the contents of the library as firewood. Given certain historical probabilities, such a scenario is quite possible. What is known, however, is that the building was later used as a theatre warehouse. Forty years later, the church was returned to the Catholics and re-consecrated. Extensive renovations were also carried out. Preservation work is still being carried out today. The church in Drohobych is our national asset, although it has not been within the Polish borders for a long time.

Architecture

The church is located near the north-western corner of the town square. Currently surrounded by lush trees, it fits perfectly into the charming, not too overwhelming surrounding urban fabric. The area surrounding the building is now enclosed by a low wall. A decorative portal leads to the façade. It is worth noting that the building had a defensive purpose. The town had no fortified walls. The church was therefore prepared as a place of refuge for the inhabitants. Hence its massive bulk, which is awe-inspiring even from a distance.

The building is one of the earlier Gothic structures in the area. The body of the church is three-nave and three-bay with a roughly square ground plan. The west-facing chancel is an extension of the main body (similar length), but narrows, subordinating its width to that of the nave, and is enclosed by three sides of an octagon. To the north, rectangular rooms with a vestry and treasury on the first floor were added to the chancel and the body. These were preceded to the east by a porch with a truncated corner. To the north, a chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary (formerly St Nicholas) is attached to the middle bay of the body.

The naves are separated by pillars on the plan of an elongated octagon and by pointed arcades. The chancel was covered with a stellar vault and the nave with a barrel vault with lunettes. Gothic brackets were left in the corners. The side aisles have cross-ribbed vaults. The sacristy is covered with a barrel vault.

Attention is drawn to the characteristic high windows corresponding to the Gothic style and the circular window opening illuminating the empora, or music choir. This, in turn, is stretched across the width of the entire body. An equally distinctive element is the façade, most of which can be described as fortified-defensive (thick walls, narrow window openings) and, from a certain height, ornamental. The latter is represented by the stepped gable of the façade decorated with ogival blendes. On the other side of the building is a gable of identical shape but without blendes. Above the portal is the inscription "Hoc templum ineuntes Deus benedic memento animi".

Dating from 1760, the main altar was made of wood, polychrome and finished with gold detailing. It consists of three axes and two tiers and a finial. In its main field there is a sculpture of Christ Crucified and in the clearances of the side axes there are sculptures of St Peter and St Paul. The lower part of the finial features an image of St Bartholomew and the upper part features the Coronation of the Virgin Mary. Both are by Andrzej Solecki. In the finial of the tabernacle is an icon depicting the Virgin Mary with Child.

The late 18th century Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary communicates with the north aisle through a semicircular arcade. The corners are supported by columns with Ionic capitals with garlands, supporting a beam. On the side walls, the beam ends below the windows and is supported by Ionic pilasters.

The roof over the chancel is gabled, the eastern part is multi-pitched and the body is gabled with small façades. The roof over the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary is triple-pitched and the roof over the sacristy is pent. All roofs are covered with metal sheeting. The square-shaped bell turret is topped with a pyramidal cupola.

Other important elements related to the decoration, furnishings and surroundings of the church include:

- The Corpus Christi altar (1790) by Kazimierz Krzementowski located on the northern side of the rainbow arch, the place separating the nave from the presbytery,

- Altar of the Holy Trinity - year of origin, structure and authorship as above, located on the south side of the rainbow arch,

- Altar of St Anthony from 1791, most probably made by Michał Skorodyński and Szymański,

- Transfiguration Altar (1780),

- Neo-Gothic Altar of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (circa 1890),

- Altar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help,

- Altar of Our Lady (in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary) from 1866,

- Pulpit (18th century),

- Stalls, transferred from the Carmelite Church by Lukasz Zaydakiewicz (1721),

- Bell tower, the base of which was built in 1551,

- Well-preserved/restored paintings located at various points, including: on the vaults, above the music choir (Last Anointing, Confession, Angels, David, St Cecilia), on the walls (St John Kanty and St Valentine),

- Pheretron with a sculpture of St Joseph with Child,

- Images: Virgin Mary with Child, St Stanislaus with Petrine, St John of Dukla in front of Virgin Mary with Child,

- Sculptures: Our Lady Immaculate, St Ignatius of Loyola, St Casimir, St Iwo, St Joachim, St Anne, the Good Shepherd, St John the Baptist, St John the Evangelist, St Stanislaus of Szczepanów, St Adalbert, St Stanislaus Kostka, St Peter, St Paul, Our Lady Queen of Poland,

- Tombstones: Katarzyna Ramułtowa, Father Ignacy Jarocki,

- Plaque commemorating the transfer of patronage rights to the city of Drohobych,

- Stoup,

- Neo-Baroque confessional,

- Portal framing the entrance to the emporium.