Corpus Christi Church, Niasvizh, Belarus

Niasvizh Catholic Corpus Christi church was built in 1587–1593 according to the design of the Italian architect Giovanni Maria Bernardoni at sponsorship of Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł. The Jesuit church in Niasvizh was the first construction in Baroque in the whole territory of Rzecz Pospolita.

The temple interior is richly decorated with paintings. The frescoes were performed in 1750-1760s with participation of the artist Ksawery Dominik Heski (restored in 1900–1902). The frescoes embrace 40 individual compositions depicting Saints, allegorical scenes and biblical stories. The fresco compositions include cartouches with the Bible stanze and references. There is K.D. Gesski’s picture 'The Lord's Supper' (1753) in the main shrine. In addition to the paintings, the church interior contains a lot of plastic images, i.e. bás-reliefs and bust gravestones of the 17th – 19th centuries, marble altars and monuments.

There is a choir with an organ above the temple entrance. An entrance into the family crypt – a burial vault of the Radziwills – is located next to the bás-relief under the altar of Christ. There are over seventy burials of the mighty dynasty in the semi-basement.

References:

Niasvizh.by

Religious sites in Belarus

Address

Zamkavaja vulica, Niasvizh, Belarus

See all sites in Niasvizh

Details

Founded: 1587-1593
Category: Religious sites in Belarus

More Information

niasvizh.by

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Nesvizh Castle (0,6 km)
Nesvizh Town Hall (0,2 km)

Mir Castle (29,2 km)

User Reviews

Eugene (3 years ago)
Amazing!

Ola (5 years ago)
Very beautiful place, not far from Nesvizh castle.

Daiva Garneliene (5 years ago)
Nothing special from outside. But everything turns out then you come inside. You can’t imagine such beauty. Everthing is left authentic from the 16th-18th centuries: incredible murals and paintings. There is Radvilas family mausoleum in the underground of this church. Descentans of this family have been buried here since 16th century till now. The founder of this church - Nicholas Christopher Radvila “The Orphan” is resting here too.

Donatas Kiltinavičius (5 years ago)
Under construction

Анна Рахманина (5 years ago)
Невероятно красиво и внутри, и снаружи. Раннее барокко. Внутри росписи чудесные, некоторые с 3D эффектом (таким, что реально обмануться можно). Само убранство тоже потрясающее. Много чего интересного, лучше идти со знающим человеком. Когда я посещала, во всю шла реконструкция, многое было недоступно, но даже это не испортило впечатление, а увиденного было достаточно, чтобы ахнуть от восторга. Потрясающе!!!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Mark1792

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.

Corpus Christi Church