Dominican Church in Lviv

The Dominican order is one of the oldest Catholic orders. It was founded in Toulouse in 1213 by the monk Dominique to fight the heretics. At first they were poor monks, but eventually these communities turned into one of the richest societies in Europe. They taught theology and scholasticism, controlled the educational institutions of the largest cities in Europe. The monasteries of the Dominican Order operated throughout Europe.

Dominicans received permission to build a Catholic monastery in Lviv. The first wooden church was not preserved. Later, in the 16th century, the Dominicans built a cathedral made of brick in the Gothic style. At that time it was a defensive structure, which played an important role in many military unrest. In 1769, the Dominican Church was built on the site of this cathedral according to the design of the military engineer Jan de Witte.

Today it is a majestic architectural monument of the late Baroque. The Latin inscription on the facade of the building attracts attention & ndash; & ldquo; Sole God & ndash; honor and glory & rdquo ;. Sculptural design and a large number of decorative ornaments give the building a palace look. The church impresses you with its mystical pathos. Above one window you will see the emblem of the Dominican Order, on which the crown is depicted. On the Bible there is a dog under the crown. From his mouth bursts out a fire, and in the teeth a dog holds a torch. This image symbolizes the struggle of the Dominicans against heretics. Under the majestic dome of the church there are wooden sculptures of the Dominicans, among which, & ndash; figures of St. Dominic and Augustine. The magnificent appearance of the church is harmoniously combined with its luxurious interior. The noble golden color of the interior design gives the church a solemnity. In the interior you can see many tombstones, among which the largest interThe EU presents a tombstone by Jozef Borkowska from the Dominica Chapel. Wooden sculptures of St. Luke, Peter and Paul, Ivan the Baptist decorate the main altar of the church with gilding.

A lot of interesting stories are connected with the Dominican church. One of them tells about the beautiful Gal'shka, who loved Prince Simeon. She was a rich heiress to the princes of Ostrog. Polish governor Luka wanted to take over these riches by marrying a girl. He surrounded the monastery with the army, in which Halshka was hiding. Thus, the water supply was closed to the monastery. For a few weeks all the trade in the city stopped. The irritated king could not stand it, and ordered the war to be stopped, betraying Gal'shka to marry the warlike Luka. Life with a cruel husband was unbearable. Soon Gal'shka dies, but all her wealth Luka never got.

The Dominican Church is a famous pilgrimage site for thousands of tourists, and to this day impresses the pomposity and grandeur of the temple.