Church of the Poor Clares

Bydgoszcz, Poland

Church of the Poor Clares is a red brick Gothic church with a few Renaissance touches built between 1582 and 1602 on the site of a previous wooden church and hospital. Officially named the Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, it is known locally as the Church of the Poor Clares as it was the home of the Order of the Poor Clares from 1619 until 1835.

The building was turned into a warehouse and later a fire station during the Prussian occupation of the city. Renovated at the end of WWI and reconsecrated in 1923, the church now functions as the city's main garrison church, serving the 10,000 or so military personnel stationed in Bydgoszcz. Of the church's many wonders, of particular interest is the early 17th-century distemper ceiling inside the nave, featuring 112 polychrome panels of beautifully executed flower designs.

References:

In Your Pocket

Religious sites in Poland

Address

Jagiellońska 1a, Bydgoszcz, Poland

See all sites in Bydgoszcz

Details

Founded: 1582-1602
Category: Religious sites in Poland

More Information

www.inyourpocket.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Wojciech Sadowski (3 years ago)
The Church is truly beautiful, the Masses are sublime. The Confession of St. all day long is also worth praising, if only it was from eight.

Marcin Rzekowski (5 years ago)
Great and dedicated priests who perform their service perfectly with great passion. The place itself makes a great impression.

Wa5yl SWO (5 years ago)
A place that attracts, refreshes and gives what is the most beautiful faith and strength for the next challenges of everyday life.

Michal Lukaszewski (5 years ago)
It is a pity there is no Tridentine Mass ..

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

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Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

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