Grodno. Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier.
Church
Belarus, Grodno, Soviet Square, 4
0
284
18.10.2024
Description
The architectural dominant of the main square of Grodno is the Catholic Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (unofficial name ‘Farny Church’).
The grandiose, monumental cathedral was built by the Jesuits in 1678-1705. The cathedral’s towers, which reach a height of 65 meters, are visible from different parts of the city. One of the towers houses a clock, one of the oldest in Europe. The clock mechanism dates back to the 14th century.
Since 1990, the cathedral has held the title of ‘minor basilica’ (one of four churches in Belarus that bear this title). The interior is striking in its solemnity and splendor. The main altar, 21 meters high, is decorated with many figures and sculptures. In addition to it, there are 12 side altars. Stained glass with a dove in the rays of the sun, like in St. Peter’s Cathedral. To the right of the main altar is the altar of Our Lady of the Snows, which contains a particularly revered miraculous copy of the icon “Salus Populi Romani” from the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Website:
https://katedra-grodno.by/Categories
Architectural monument
Historical
Location
Latitude: 53.6781965
Longitude: 23.83133387
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18.10.2024
Grodno. Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier.
One of the visiting cards and main attractions of Grodno is the luxurious Catholic Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier located in the city center. One of the largest Catholic churches in Belarus. It was built at the end of the 17th century as a temple of the Jesuit order. Since 1782, the church has become the main Catholic church of the city, receiving the status of "farny" (hence the unofficial name 'Farny Church').
In 1990, the Pope granted the church the title of minor basilica. This title is given to Catholic shrines of great historical and religious significance. There are only four such churches in Belarus (the other three are the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Budslav, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Pinsk, and the Basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Braslav).
The church is built in the Baroque style and is one of the largest Baroque churches in Europe. The external size is 60 by 33 meters, the height of the towers reaches 65 meters. The main highlight of the facade is the old clock from the 14th century, which survived the destruction of the city hall, it still has an original clock mechanism, which is carefully looked after. They say that one tooth is missing from the mechanism, and the clockmaker climbs the tower every 2-3 days to correct the lag of the clock mechanism.
The church amazes with its beauty and grandeur, rich interior design, the interior is decorated with paintings, statues and stucco. Each element of the decor is a work of art. In addition to the main altar, 21 meters high, skillfully carved from wood and decorated with many figures and sculptures, there are 12 side altars from different eras. The stained glass above the altar with the symbol of the Holy Spirit is a copy of the one in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The church organ is the largest in Belarus, its sound is mesmerizing.
The main relic of the temple is located in a separate altar – the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of the Snows (Student, Congregational). This 17th-century icon is a copy of the icon “Salus Populi Romani” from the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
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