Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Navarre, photo Aeou
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ID: POL-001568-P

Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Navarre

ID: POL-001568-P

Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Navarre

The Navarre Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the first documented work of Bernard Meretin, court architect to King August III. However, the history of the parish in Navarre dates back to before the beginning of the 17th century, while the first mention of the parish church is from the Tatar invasions at the turn of the second and third decade of the 17th century, when it was destroyed. Just a few years later, a new temple was erected in its place.

Foundation of the church in Navarra
. The parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Navarra was built after the original temple on the site was destroyed during the Tartar invasion in 1618-1621. After this destruction, a new Navarrian church was founded in 1624 or 1627. The founder of the church was Elisabeth, the wife of George Humnicki of Zimnavoda, who was buried in the temple.

Originally, a wooden church was built, but the structure was rebuilt in stone after a fire in 1630. The consecration of the church took place in 1645, but another destruction and reconstruction soon followed - during the Khmelnytskyi invasion in 1648.

As early as the 17th century, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary housed the relics of St Valentine, as well as a venerated painting. This contributed to the special role of the church in Navarre as a shrine to St. Valentine.

18th century reconstruction
The 18th century brought reconstruction to the Navarrian church. The author of this extension was Bernard Meretin, and the Navarre church is his earliest confirmed work. Meretyn's work was, however, limited by the remains of the previous building, determining the shape of the presbytery. The extension began with the partial demolition of the previous structure in 1739 and was probably completed in 1748.

The furnishing and decoration of the newly rebuilt church in Navarre continued until the 1770s. In the middle of the 18th century, the presence of two altars was recorded, while in 1762 there were five altars. Over the following years, paintings were gradually added to the church furnishings, as well as new altars (in 1768 and 1771). Meretyn was not the only Lviv architect who contributed to the construction of the Navarra church - in 1766 a bell tower designed by Piotr Polejowski was built next to the church. The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was consecrated in July 1774.

20th century
In 1902 the roof of the Navarra church was covered with tin and a new bell tower was built. In the following years, the organ (1907) and the altars (1928-29) were renovated.

After the Second World War, in 1946, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Navarra lost its function; after its closure, it was used for storage purposes. The church furnishings were dispersed. The paintings "Mother of God" and "St. Valentine", as well as some sculptures and other objects, were taken to the church in Uraz near Wroclaw. The remaining sculptures were taken to the National Museum in Lviv and the Lviv Picture Gallery (Olesko branch).

The re-consecration took place in 1992. It was then that new renovation work was undertaken.

Architecture
The Church of Navarra is a basilica-type church, consisting of a three-nave, three-bay body and a presbytery closed with a trilateral apse, from which the treasury and sacristy rooms, built on a square plan, extend on its sides. The architecture of the church makes use of various types of vaulting: the nave, sacristy and treasury are covered with cross vaults, the side aisles are covered with flattened domes, and the chancel has a sagittarius vault.

The church has a three-part façade, the central part of which is topped with a high, two-part gable. Its central part is protruding towards the front. The articulation of the façade consists of composite pilasters, in contrast to the side elevations of the main façade, where we find simple lisens divisions.

The nave and presbytery are covered by a gable roof, while the side aisles, vestry and treasury are covered by pent roofs.

Furnishings and painting and sculptural decoration
. A particularly interesting element of the decoration of the Navarra church is the painting decoration of the presbytery by the Italian artist Antonio Tavellio, created in 1770. We can notice several motifs here: illusionistically painted architectural elements, Wieniawa and Szembek coats of arms, and emblematic representations and figural scenes reaching back to biblical themes. In later years, Tavelli will be associated, above all, with the painting decoration of the underground room in the palace in Jabłonna.

Painting decoration can also be found in the nave; this, however, was done by a different hand.

A unique element of the church is its sculptural decoration, which lived to see a relatively rich literature, which, however, did not finally clear up all the questions concerning it. We can associate the sculptural decoration of the Navarre church with the workshop of Johann Georg Pinsel, but without the involvement of the master himself.

Today, three altars remain in the Navarra church - the main altar of the Holy Trinity, and the altars of the Virgin Mary and St Valentine. We also know that the pulpit and the organ prospectus have not survived.

Related persons:
Time of origin:
1739-1748
Creator:
Bernard Meretyn (architekt; Niemcy, Polska, Ukraina)(preview), Antonio Tavelli (malarz; Lwów, Jabłonna), Piotr Polejowski (architekt, snycerz; Lwów, architekt królewski)(preview)
Bibliography:
  • Jan K. Ostrowski, „Kościół parafialny p.w. Św. Trójcy w Olesku”, [w:] „Materiały do dziejów sztuki sakralnej na ziemiach wschodnich dawnej Rzeczypospolitej”, red. Jan K. Ostrowski, Cz. I: „Kościoły i klasztory rzymskokatolickie dawnego województwa ruskiego”, Kraków 1993, t. 1, s. 53-64.
Supplementary bibliography:

Jan K. Ostrowski, Kościół parafialny p.w. Św. Trójcy w Olesku , [in:] Materiały do dziejów sztuki sakralnej na ziemiach wschodnich dawnej Rzeczypospolitej , red. Jan K. Ostrowski, Cz. I: Kościoły i klasztory rzymskokatolickie dawnego województwa ruskiego . T. 1. Cracow 1993, pp. 53-64

Author:
Magdalena Puchalska
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