Historical outline
Zhovkva was founded by the Crown Field Hetman Stanislav Zhovkevsky. It took place in 1597. The ambition of the owner, who was not only an excellent military man but also a conscious aesthete, was to create a town resembling the Renaissance Zamość. Therefore, in order to design the town, Żółkiewski employed, among others, Paweł Szczęśliwy, an outstanding architect from the so-called Italian school. Żółkiew was granted town rights already six years later.

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Dominican monastery were founded by Teofilia Sobieska (née Danilowicz), i.e. Hetman Stanislaw Żółkiewski's granddaughter. She undertook to finance the erection of the buildings on the land given to the monks, and in time enriched the donation with additional landed property and

. Mass fund. In return for this generosity, the fathers were obliged to say a certain number of masses for the intentions of their benefactress, but above all for the soul of Marek Sobieski, i.e. her deceased son and the brother of the later King of Poland. Jan III Sobieski himself, already as ruler of the kingdom, looked after the foundation, treating it as a family honour. After all, Zhovkva was his favourite residence and he spent most of his time there. At the same time, he brought his war trophies to the city, strengthened it with modern fortifications and influenced its more baroque décor.

Subsequent owners of the town also took great care of the place. Historical turmoil led to destruction, and the buildings were constantly being rebuilt and furnished. The first serious damage was done by Cossacks in 1655, almost simultaneously with the beginning of its existence. In 1716, the Saxon army carried out looting, and after the first partition of Poland, the complex was partially occupied by the Austrian invader, who arranged a grain warehouse in it.

The 19th century can be regarded as a time of neglect and destruction of the building. It was not until the turn of the 20th century that both the church and the monastery underwent extensive restoration and minor reconstruction.

During the Second Polish Republic, the town was a garrison of the Sixth Regiment of Mounted Riflemen named after Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski. A testimony to that time is, among other things, a memorial plaque located in another religious building in Zhovkva, namely in the church of St. Lawrence the Martyr.

When the USSR invaded Poland and occupied the town, the Red Army soldiers destroyed the monuments to Jan III Sobieski and Stanislaw Żółkiewski. Under pressure from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Soviets, almost all Poles left Zhovkva with the end of World War II. The Dominicans were also displaced and the building was occupied by the new authorities.

Architecture
The complex is located east of the market square, on the northern side of the Lviv route. A small square extends in front of the church building. The monastery building surrounds the church at the back. There is a garden to the west and a courtyard to the east. The whole is enclosed in a property with an irregular quadrilateral shape and is surrounded by a high wall.

The church was built on a cruciform plan. It has a wide, three-bay nave, a north-facing chancel, and shallow chapels on the sides connected by narrow passages. A half-bay has been added on the south side to house the music choir. On the west side are the chapels of St Mark, St Anthony and St Joseph, and on the east side are St Vincent Ferrenius, St Thomas and St Mary Magdalene. The presbytery is two-bay, slightly narrower than the nave. The transept arms extend in width beyond the nave and house the chapel of St Jack and St Dominic. There is a sacristy to the east and a chapel of the Lord Jesus Crucified to the west.

The articulation of the walls in the nave is carried out with Tuscan pilasters on high pedestals. The walls are topped by a beam with a prominent cornice. Inside, it is also worth noting the polychromy dating from the early 20th century.

It covers the entire vault and the walls, partly imitating stucco decoration. In terms of colour, it is rather monochromatic, but in large parts gilded in the background. The repeated floral motif (lily, palm leaves, laurel leaves) blends in perfectly with the key spatial elements. In addition, we can see symbols such as the cross, the anchor, the Eye of Providence or the Burning Heart. The rest of the surface features acanthus weaves surrounding shields with coats of arms and symbols of the Dominican order and stars with Maltese crosses. In the chancel, a pentagonal field with a representation of the Virgin Mary on a throne and many, many other motifs.

The main altar dates from the 18th century and was designed in the late Baroque style. It was made of wood. It has evolved over the centuries through numerous restorations and minor alterations. Its spatial function has also changed. Although it has always occupied a central position in the building, it was originally a free-standing object. The altar contains sculptures of St Thomas Aquinas, St Jack, St Peter and St Paul, among others. At the top of the dome is a sculpture of God the Father with the Dove of the Holy Spirit.

Other important elements associated with the decoration, furnishings and surroundings of the building include:
. - Altar of Our Lady of the Rosary (early 20th century) located in the cross of the church on the north-west side,
. - Two provisional altars of St. Jack and St. Dominic,
- Organ from 1898,
- Early 20th century pulpit,
- Tombstone of Teofila Sobieska,
- Tombstone of Marek Sobieski,
- Library - a rich but unexplored book collection dating back to the late 17th century,
. - Archive of documents concerning the estate,
- Monastery walls dating back to the 17th century, remnants of the town's fortifications,
- Stone tower located in the northeast corner,
- Bell tower from the 19th century,

Most of the movable property was moved from the complex as a result of various historical turbulences. For example, one of the most famous borderland paintings, "Our Lady of the Rosary", is now in the Dominican Church in Służewo, Warsaw.