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Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Cross and St. Bartholomew in Drohobych, polychromy, photo Piotr Ługowski, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca St Bartholomew Church in Drohobych
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Cross and St. Bartholomew in Drohobych, polychromy, photo Piotr Ługowski, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca St Bartholomew Church in Drohobych
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ID: POL-000298-P

St Bartholomew Church in Drohobych

ID: POL-000298-P

St Bartholomew Church in Drohobych

Variants of the name:
Świętego Bartłomieja Apostoła w Drohobyczu

St Bartholomew's Church is a late Gothic temple built in the first half of the 15th century, making it one of the oldest in the region. In 1511, Bernard Wilczek, Archbishop of Lvov, consecrated the church, which had been rebuilt after the Turkish-Tartar invasion, and it was at this time that the church was given its first extended title of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Bartholomew and St Cross. Such a long name could not be accepted, so it is called St Bartholomew's Church and is often used in literature.

The 18th century brought major changes to the decoration of the church. It was then that Andrzej Solecki of Krechowice began decorating the entire interior with a new late Baroque polychrome. The church is a Gothic three-nave building without towers, distinguished by a vault based on octagonal pillars. The length of the church is 42 metres, the width of the façade is 23 metres and the chancel is 11 metres. The outer walls, more than 1 metre thick, made of well-fired red brick laid in a distinctive carriage-head pattern and jointed smoothly, are decorated with dark, hard glazed brick, known as rendering, forming a lattice pattern. The finish under the cornice is formed by majolica in a dark blue colour, adding to the medieval, austere character of the temple.

The vaults and walls were originally decorated with frescoes with floral motifs, restored in 1790 by Andrzej Solecki, who added Baroque religious scenes. The main nave has frescoes of the Last Judgement and the Handing of the Keys to St Peter, and the south side aisle retains decorative frescoes with religious scenes

A chapel was added to the north side in the 18th century, which required the removal of two buttresses. The temple originally had 15 buttress pillars, as well as 12 Gothic-style windows, the original shape of which was altered during the restoration in 1790, shortening them and taking away their Gothic character. At the beginning of the 20th century, stained glass windows designed by Stanisław Wyspianski, Józef Mehoffer and Stefan Matejko were installed in the chancel, made at the Żeleński Company in Kraków, which are now 95% damaged. The roof of the church, originally covered with fluted tiles, is now tin, and the earlier signature tower has been replaced by a new one, incompatible with the Gothic style.

Among the oldest decorative elements are the stone contours of the foot, hand and head, symbolising the victory of Christianity, according to a legend attributing it to King Ladislaus Jagiello. Another historical element is a stone sphere, symbolising the bread sold during the construction of the church. The entrances to the church were originally in the south and north walls, with a white marble door in the south, dated 1422 and funded by Jan Mężyk of Dąbrowa, who placed a scene from the Battle of Grunwald above it. In 1791 these doors underwent some alterations, including the addition of crosses at the top of the Gothic arch.

The twentieth century brought significant damage and challenges to the church, including a period of profanation and a change in its function to a warehouse and museum of atheism. Contemporary efforts to restore and conserve the church, including restoration of the stained glass windows, roof and interior are restoring the church to its former glory.

The formal name of the church is Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Cross and St Bartholomew.

Time of origin:
1st half of the 15th century.
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