THE LUBLIN REGION
Lublin Cathedral

The history and the beginnings of the Lublin Cathedral are inextricably linked with the Jesuit Order, who were brought to Lublin by Andrzej Tęczyński. A church was built on its land, funded by Bernard Maciejowski. Construction began in 1586 according to the designs of Jan Maria Bernardoni and Józef Bricca (Giuseppe Brizio). It was completed in 1625. It is obvious that due to the contemporary fashion caused by the condition of the Catholic church, the temple was built in the Baroque style, although in some places you can find Renaissance details. The Jesuits, in pursuit of their vocation to convert, decided to erect a building complex for a school and a new college. The buildings were situated along Jezuicka Street and around Katedralny Square. They were in contact with the cathedral building, thus forming a courtyard inside. The whole thing was integrated into the defensive walls, so the windows of the cathedral had to be above the line of the walls for security reasons.

In 1752, after a fire, the church was rebuilt in the baroque style. In 1757, the interior of the temple was covered with illusionist frescoes by the court painter August III Sax, Józef Meyer. In 1773, the Jesuit order was dissolved, and after the establishment of the National Education Commission, the order lost its church and monastery. The buildings were handed over to the Trinitarian fathers, who did not have the means to support themselves, which led to their destruction In 1805, the Lublin diocese was established, with the seat of the former Jesuit church. In 1815, the demolition of the buildings of the Jesuit college began. Buildings located at ul. Jezuicka and adjacent to the monastery gate were allocated to a provincial school. Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, an extremely prolific and well-known writer from the turn of Romanticism and Positivism, used to attend it. In 1821, Antonio Corazzi designed a new facade in the Classicist style. As a result of the destruction caused by World War II, the college buildings lost their educational role and were deserted for many years. They currently serve as the seat of the State Archives. Thanks to the then bishop of Lublin, Stefan Wyszyński, the cathedral was renovated, and a sgraffito - Soli Deo (God only) was placed on the front of the temple. The interior of the naves is covered with frescoes made mainly by Jan Meier. In the presbytery there is a 17th century altar made of black Lebanese pear, currently in its original ebony color, with golden sculptures of saints. There are also two baroque paintings by Franciszek Lekszycki in the presbytery: The Last Supper and Herod’s Feast. In the side chapels, in addition to frescoes, we can see figures of saints, including Ignatius of Loyola, and paintings. An important object of religious worship is the image of the Weeping Mother of God - on July 3, 1949, the painting cried with bloody tears, which were collected and placed in one of the stones in the crown of Mary. In the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament there is a miraculous Tribunal Cross, originally located in the Church of St. Michael the Archangel. Valuable collections of liturgical objects are on display in the Acoustic Sacristy and in the adjacent treasury. In both rooms there are Meier’s illusionist frescoes depicting the triumph of faith over heresy and the horseman of the Apocalypse. While standing in the corner of the Acoustic Sacristy, you can hear the whisper of the person in the other corner of the room. Apparently, the bishop of Lublin wanted to be able to eavesdrop on the conversations of the guests he received in the sacristy. For visitors it is possible to go down to the crypt. The deceased Lublin bishops are lying there. You can see the clothes of the deceased, tomb portraits, and items with which the deceased were buried. The entrance to the crypts is inside the cathedral.
