Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Archikatedra sw. Jana Chrzciciela) description and photos - Poland: Wroclaw (Topic)

St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Archikatedra sw. Jana Chrzciciela) description and photos - Poland: Wroclaw. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Archikatedra sw. Jana Chrzciciela.

Photo and description

The Cathedral of John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic church located in the Polish city of Wroclaw on the island of Tumski.

The first church on the site of this cathedral was built in the middle of 10 century, was destroyed by the troops of the Duke of Bretislaus in 1039. The second church was built on this site in the Romanesque style during the reign of Prince Casimir I in 1158. Later, the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style. It was the first brick building in the city. Two towers, three naves - the church was consecrated by Bishop Zyroslav II in 1180. In the following decades, the reconstruction was carried out in several stages. In 1517, Bishop John Thurzo built a new portal sacristy, which is considered the first Renaissance work in Silesia.

In June 1540, a fire destroyed the roof and bells of the north tower. It was restored 16 years later in the Renaissance style. Another fire, in June 1759, destroyed the towers, roofs and sacristy. Restoration work continued over the next 150 years. The cathedral was almost completely destroyed (about 70%) during the siege of Breslau and the heavy bombing of the Red Army in the last days of World War II. The surviving details of the church's interior are currently on display at the National Museum in Warsaw. The reconstruction continued until 1951, when the cathedral was consecrated by Archbishop Stefan Vyshinsky.

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Topic: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Archikatedra sw. Jana Chrzciciela) description and photos - Poland: Wroclaw.