The rotunda of Saint Nicolas in Cieszyn

The rotunda of Saint Nicolas in Cieszyn

Saint Nicolas and Saint Wenceslas Church in Cieszyn, a Romanesque rotunda built in the 12th century to serve the role of a castle chapel and a stronghold church.

History

In the 1950s the date of its construction was set for the first half of the 11th century. Recent research, however, indicates that it might be as late as around 1180.[1]

The rotunda was erected within the walls of the castellan stronghold at the top of Castle Mount (built in the 10th century and the first half of the 11th century).[2] The first reference to the rotunda comes from 1223, where it was described as St. Nicolas Chapel, obliged to pay a tithe to Norbertine’s sisters in Rybnik [4]. The end of the 13th century and the entire 14th century was related to a reconstruction of the castle and replacement of wood by bricks. The Romanesque rotunda was adapted to the Gothic castle: the level of the floor was raised by two meters, Romanesque windows in the apse were walled up and bigger, Gothic ones were created.[3]

In 1484 the chapel burned down together with the castle, however this did not significantly influenced its condition.[3]

In 1495 a parson of Pszczyna, Wacław Hynal from Stonawa, funded an altar of The Divine Providence, Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Saint Ersmus and Saint Wenceslas. This gave the basis for attempts to present the last one as the patron saint of the rotunda.[2]

When Princess Lucretia, the last of the Piast dynasty, died in 1653 the rotunda ceased to be the castle chapel. Since that time the rotunda has been the property of the Chamber of Cieszyn established by the Habsburgs. The new managers did not pay much attention to the church, however the sources state that the Rotunda did not go to rack and ruin. In 1722 and 1755 it was written that the Rotunda “is old, domed and twice a year, on Saint Wenceslas and Saint Nicolas days services are held there”.[4] In the early years of the dominance of the Habsburgs the Rotunda was used as a repository for tools required for performance of the so-called orchards God’s Judgements and sometimes also as an arms depot.[3]

At the time of the conversion of the lower castle in 1838-40, the Romanesque walls of the temple were ringed by a brick wall. New and bigger windows were walled out and a new, tin helmet was put up. The level of the interior nave and the exterior area was raised (the building was almost halfway up rimmed by soil).[4] The Romanesque chapel received a classical division of the façade adjusted to the style of the castle. The design of a romantic pavilion was created by Joseph Koernhausel. The interior of the Rotunda was decorated by a neo-gothic wooden altar and a picture of Saint Wenceslas.[3]

During World War II, as a result of archaeological research conducted by the Germans, plasters were removed and the original level of the floor was restored. Further archaeological and works (conducted under the supervision of A. Kietliński) and restoration works were carried out in 1947-1955. Thanks to restoration works (supervised by Z. Gawlik) that comprised a reconstruction of the gallery, disclosure of the original windows, the altar stone and the floor the Rotunda regained its Romanesque characteristics.[2]

After the end of World War II the temple became a tourist attraction and the first service after a break of approx. 50 years took place on 6 December 1997 and was related to the resacralisation of the church.[5]

Architecture

The rotunda is build of flat limestone chops that create an internal and external front, with circular layout with a semicircular and oriented apse. The space between the fronts is filled with rubble and crushed stone joined by lime mortar.[3] A circular nave is covered by a dome made of concentrically arranged stones, the apse is covered by a semi-dome. In the north part of the nave there are one-way stairs leading to the gallery - a kind of a balcony supported by columns and semi-columns (located from the western side) - placed in a wall that in this spot is 1.75 m thick.[3] At the top of the stairs leading to the gallery there is a walled-up Romanesque portal , which decorated a passage to the palatium, the seat of a castellan for whom the gallery was constructed. A semi-circular apse with three stairs is oriented to the East.[6] The apse is separated by an internal phase and closed by a conche emphasised by building stones. The altar stone located in the apse is a hole for relics or holy oils. A similar role was played by a niche in the south wall with a Gothic brick framework and three round holes for extinguishing candles below. In the apse there are two two-way embrasured Romanesque windows. Two narrow slot windows light up the upper part of the nave.[3] Additional light for the nave came from slot windows located at ¾ of the height of the wall. On the rainbow arch that separated the nave from the apse traces of a Romanesque paining from the second part of the 15th century was found with tracery. The nave was covered by a dome with a concentric arrangement of stones.[6]

The nave is 13 metres high, the apse is 6.8 metre high and the total height of the rotunda is approx. 15 metres.[3]

Entrance to the Rotunda is located on the western side of the building.[2]

From the outside, where the stairs are located, the wall is thickened and creates a slightly protruding bay window hanged over cantilevers. The roof over the nave and the apse are cone-shaped and covered by shingles.[6]

Classicistic reconstruction in 1839 by the design of Joseph Kornhäusl involved walling out two semi-circular windows and plastering the façade. In 1947-1955 reconstruction works were carried out, during which the rotunda was restored to its original state and the gallery in the south part was reconstructed on the basis of preserved parts.[2]

Patron saints

Saint Wenceslaus, the second part of the eighteenth century, oil on canvas, equipment of the rotunda.

It is commonly assumed that the patrons saint of the rotunda are St.Nicolaus and St. Wenceslas. In the document from 1223 in which a sacral object in Cieszyn is mentioned for the first time there is a following entry: ecclesia sancti Nicolai. It does not follow, however, that the church mentioned in the said document is the castle rotunda. Analysis of a few preserved written documents and the already recognised settling context seem to point to the fact that the church mentioned in the document by a bishop of Wrocław from 1223 was located outside the stronghold, most probably within the borders of a pre-settlement hamlet. Therefore it is likely that in the first quarter of the 13th century there were at least two churches in Cieszyn - St. Nicolas church in the latter “suburbium” and the rotunda in the castellan’s stronghold.[7] It is worth mentioning that in 1495 a parson of Pszczyna, Wacław Hynal from Stonawa funded an altar of the Divine Providence, Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Saint Erasmus and Saint Wenceslas. In later documents the rotunda as the castle chapel is mentioned as having saint Wenceslas as its patron saint. Also, preserved documents from the 18th century (urbaria) confirm Saint Wenceslas as its patron saint.

Conflict between Poland and Czech Republic concerning Cieszyn Silesia in 1919 - 1920 has contributed to progressive removal of St. Wenceslas as a Czech element, without paying attention to the fact that St. Wenceslas not only is the patron saint of Bohemia , but in 1436 he was established as one of the four major patrons saint of the Kingdom of Poland by cardinal Zbigniew Oleśnicki.

Holy Masses

Holy Masses are celebrated once a year - on December 6 - on St. Nicolas.[7]

Trivia

The Rotunda of Cieszyn as one of the oldest monuments of Polish architecture is depicted on the current Polish 20 PLN banknote. The image of the rotunda is to be seen on the reverse of the banknote, on the left in the background.[8]

It is possible to pay a virtual visit to the rotunda.[9]

The church is a part of the Romanesque Trail.[10]

The rotunda is depicted on a commemorative coin of PLN 2. The coin was issued by the National Bank of Poland as a part of Historical Cities in Poland series.[11]

The church together with the Piast Tower appears on a collector's tourist stamp (No. 173).[8]

The legend has it that the Rotunda was constructed on the side of a former pagan temple built in honour of the goddess Marzanna.[3]

Opening hours

The rotunda is open to the public daily with few exceptions of (Easter and Christmas day):[12]

June - August: 9.00 A.M. - 7.00 P.M.

January, February, November, December : from 9.00 A.M.-4.00 P.M

March, April, October: Mon-Fri 9.00 A.M.- 5.00 P.M.

May and September: 9.00 A.M. - 6.00 P.M.

The key to the Rotunda is available at the Piast Tower.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Cieszyńska rotunda jest o sto lat młodsza?".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Janusz, Spyra (2007). Szlak książąt cieszyńskich. Piastowie. Cieszyn: Cieszyn: The Promotion and Information Office. The Municipal Office in Cieszyn. pp. 20–22. ISBN 978-83-89835-17-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Janusz, Spyra (2008). Via Sacra. Kościoły i klasztory w Cieszynie i w Czeskim Cieszynie. Cieszyn: Cieszyn: The Promotion and Information Office. The Municipal Office in Cieszyn. pp. 22–29. ISBN 978-83-89835-35-2.
  4. 1 2 "Kaplica zamkowa p.w. św. Mikołaja i św. Wacława - Cieszyn.pl - serwis informacyjny".
  5. ↑ "Rotunda św. Mikołaja w Cieszynie otwiera swoje wrota".
  6. 1 2 3 Rejduch-Samek, Izabela; Samek, Jan, eds. (1974). Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce. Tom VI. Województwo Katowickie. Katowice: Instytut sztuki Polskiej Akademii Nauk i Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków w Katowicach. pp. 26–28.
  7. 1 2 "Rotunda św. Mikołaja - Parafia Świętej Marii Magdaleny w Cieszynie".
  8. 1 2 "Znaczki Turystyczne - No. 173 Rotunda św. Mikołaja i Wieża Piastowska w Cieszynie".
  9. ↑ "Cieszyn - Kościół św. Mikołaja - romańska rotunda - panorama 360°".
  10. ↑ "Szlak Romański".
  11. ↑ "Narodowy Bank Polski - Internetowy Serwis Informacyjny".
  12. ↑ "Zamek Cieszyn - Wieża Piastowska i Rotunda".
  13. ↑ "Cieszyn - Rotunda p.w. św. Mikołaja z poł. XI wieku | Album Romański,".

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