Introduction
The Cathedral of Przemyśl, officially called the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, is a Latin Catholic cathedral located in Przemyśl, Poland. It serves as the main church of the Archdiocese of Przemyśl and sits prominently at Cathedral Square in the Old Town. The cathedral is dedicated to three patrons: Our Lady of Jacek, St. Joseph Sebastian Pelczar, and Blessed Jan Balicki. The history of the cathedral goes back to 1375 when the diocese was established. The first cathedral was a wooden church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, standing on the square near where the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands today. Then, from 1412 to 1460, the cathedral was housed in a stone church built from ashlar within the courtyard of Przemyśl Castle.
The very first cathedral in Przemyśl was a simple wooden church, built in 1375. It stood near where the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is today and served as the main cathedral until 1412. The cathedral then moved into a Ruthenian Orthodox church constructed of stone and situated in the courtyard of Przemyl Castle, where it remained until 1460. The castle was closely associated with this version of the cathedral. The current cathedral’s construction began in 1495 under Bishop Nicholas Báejowski’s direction. Although only the initial walls and pillars have been preserved today, it was constructed in the Gothic style. The reconstruction continued into the early 1500s, giving the church much of its present form. The construction of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament was financed in 1578 by Jan Tomasz Drohojowski, the mayor of Przemyl and Secretary of the Crown. It was built on the site of an older rotunda dedicated to St. Nicholas. The cathedral was fortified because Wallachians and Tartars frequently attacked the area during that time. It was surrounded by defensive walls and even had a cannon installed for protection. As the residence of Archbishop Adam Szal, this historic church continues its legacy today.
Architecture of Przemyśl Cathedral, Przemyśl, Poland
Architectural style: Gothic architecture, Baroque architecture.
Burials: Józef Sebastian Pelczar.
Romanesque rotunda
After the second half of the 12th century, a rotunda dedicated to St. Nicholas was constructed in Romanesque architecture. The rotunda, built of sandstone, had a circular plan with a diameter of 9.20 meters with a horseshoe-shaped apse, and to this day, only the foundations to a height of 2.30 meters have survived under the floor. In 1301, it was first mentioned. The rotunda was demolished around 1460 during the construction of the Gothic cathedral.
Gothic cathedral
Bishop Mikoaj Báejowski began the Gothic-style construction of the current cathedral in 1452. A chancel was built in 1474 after the Romanesque rotunda was torn down, but construction was later put on hold. A nave was added toward the end of the 15th century, but it was damaged during the Tatar invasion in 1495. Bishop Maciej Drzewicki of Drzewica started the reconstruction and Bishop Jan Dziaduski finished it in 1549. In addition, the church was fortified by building a wall around it and putting cannons on it in order to protect it from invasions by Tatars and Wallachians. This wall lasted until 1839. The current Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, which is also referred to as the Drohojowski Chapel, was established in 1578 by Jan Tomasz Drohojowski, the starost of Przemyl and Grand Crown Referendary (who passed away in 1605). It was built on the site of the former rotunda of St. Nicholas. Built in the Renaissance style, the chapel was initially dedicated to St. Thomas. On May 19, 1621, standard-bearer Jerzy Krasicki, along with Stanisaw “The Devil” Stadnicki’s son Zygmunt and a large group of armed men, broke into the Drohojewski chapel and insulted the company of the Pozna castellan, Piotr Opaliski of Bnin. The cathedral survived the wars of the 17th century, but on May 19, 1621, a The bishop imposed an interdict on the city as a result of this.
Baroque cathedral
Bishop Aleksander Antoni Fredro, the bearer of the Bocza coat of arms, made the decision in 1724 to give the Gothic cathedral a Baroque appearance. During this time, the Baroque Fredro Chapel was also built. New stalls and a massive Baroque Great Altar were added to the chancel during the renovation. The crypt and some of the church’s furnishings were partially destroyed when the vault collapsed shortly after the work was finished in 1733. The church had been rebuilt by 1743, and Bishop Hieronim Sierakowski dedicated the new structure in 1744. Additionally, the bell tower’s first floor was constructed at this time. The church was renovated under Tomasz Pryliski’s direction from 1884 to 1907, and Ferdynand Majerski was in charge of the sculptures. His head was carved in stone on the church facade to honor him. The chancel, the oldest part of the church, was restored to its Gothic appearance at this time. A second story was also added to the tower, with statues placed in the corners and clock faces installed. A dome covered the entire structure. In 2014, the crypts beneath the church were made accessible to the public. The most valuable element of the underground are the outer walls of the Romanesque rotunda of St. Nicholas has a horseshoe-shaped apse and a circular nave, probably built in 1215. The ossuaries contain the remains of those buried here, and the lapidarium contains church architectural elements from before the 1733 construction disaster.
Organs
The organ was built by Dominik Biernacki’s company in collaboration with his brother Wacław. At the General National Exhibition in Pozna in 1929, the instrument received the Grand Gold Medal and Honorary Diploma. Bishop Anatol Nowak and the Latin Rite Cathedral Chapter in Przemyl purchased it. Eugeniusz, Stanislaw, and Wojciech Bachan, in collaboration with conservator Jan Wsacz, carried out a comprehensive renovation in 1990.
Bells
Four bells hang in the cathedral tower. The 1915 war requisition by the occupying powers deprived the cathedral of three of its four bells. The “Maria” bell was presented with great success at the International Exhibition of Modern Applied Art in Paris in 1927, where it won a gold medal. The John the Baptist bell was not requisitioned in 1917 thanks to an appeal to the Central Conservation Commission in Vienna and the Ministry of War.
The Crypts of the Cathedral
The crypts beneath the Przemyśl Cathedral are one of the most unique and sacred places in all of Podkarpacie. In 2014, they were opened to the public as part of a special exhibition titled “The Underground of the Cathedral as a Necropolis of Przemyśl Bishops and Lay People.” This underground space is both a museum and a resting place, filled with history and reverence. Inside, you can see relics of saints, beautifully preserved sarcophagi of eleven bishops, along with their ceremonial vestments and rings. Among them is the mausoleum of Bishop Aleksander Fredro the man who transformed the cathedral into its Baroque form between 1728 and 1732. The oldest preserved monument down here is a section of the Romanesque rotunda the original Church of St. Nicholas dating all the way back to the 11th or 12th century. It lies beneath the presbytery and offers a physical connection to the cathedral’s earliest days. The open underground area covers around 470 square meters. Its current shape is largely the result of the reconstruction that happened after the vault collapsed in 1733. While that disaster destroyed much of the church above, it also led to a complete rebuild and left behind fascinating remains below. In the 1960s, archaeologists discovered the existence of the ancient rotunda. Then, starting in 2011, major restoration work was carried out to clean, repair, and make accessible the partially buried and flooded crypts. Thanks to that effort, visitors today can walk through centuries of history beneath the cathedral floor.
Feast Day
Feast Day : 15 August – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 24 June – St. John the Baptist
The Cathedral Basilica in Przemyśl celebrates its main feast days on August 15 and June 24. August 15 honors the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, while June 24 marks the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Both days are celebrated with special Masses and local religious traditions.
Church Mass Timing
Monday to Saturday : 6:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM.
Sunday : 7:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 3:30 PM , 6:00 PM.
Church Opening Time:
Monday to Sunday : Open in 24 Hours
Contact Info
Address : Przemyśl Cathedral
Zamkowa 3, 37-700 Przemyśl, Poland
Phone : +48 16 678 27 66
Accommodations
Connectivities
Airway
Przemyśl Cathedral, Przemyśl, Poland, to Arłamów Airport Wola Korzeniecka, distance between 38 min (32.7 km) via DK28.
Railway
Przemyśl Cathedral, Przemyśl, Poland to Przemysl Glowny Train Station plac Legionów, distance between 5 min (1.4 km) via Basztowa.
