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Strzelno Convent of the Holy Trinity

. . . THIS MAY TAKE A MOMENT OR TWO . . .

We are very grateful to Dr. Joanna Szczesna, Ph.D., Catholic University of Lublin,
for her work with us concerning Polish Religious Houses 
and her generous comments regarding Strzelno, below.
 
 
Aerial photograph of the convent complex at Strzelno.  
 
 
Westfront of the former convent church of the Holy Trinity, Strzelno.  
 
 
Another view of the former convent church of the Holy Trinity, Strzelno.
 
 
Interior of the convent church, showing the unique 
carvings of the Virtues and the Vices on the columns.
Click here for a detailed description of the columns.

A second view of the church interior

 

A third view of the interior of the churcch

 
Reconstruction of the original interior, showing the two carved columns.
 

Northern Tympanum, Christ in Majesty

 

A closer view of the Northern Tympanum

 

Tympanum of the Northern Tympanum.
Click here for a detailed description of this portal.
 
 
Tympanum of Holy Trinity convent church, showing the Annunciation.
 
 
Tympanum of Holy Trinity convent church, showing the founding of the convent.
 
 
Closeup of the northeastern carved column in the church - depicting the vices personified. 
Click here for a detailed description
 
Closeup of the southeastern carved column in the church
depicting the virtues personified.   
Click here for a detailed description
 
 
Closeup of the carving of the vice 'Impurity' on one of the columns.
Click here for a detailed description

Closeup of the carving of the vice of 'Revenge' on one
of the columns (person is swearing a false oath).
Click here for a detailed description
 
 
Closeup of the carving of the vice 'Wrath' (rage, anger) on one of the columns.
Click here for a detailed description

Another view of "Wrath"

Closeup of the Virtues 'Justice' and 'Moderation' on one of the columns.
Click here for a detailed description

Another view of "Justice"

Closeup of the Virtues 'Piety' and 'Service to God' on one of the columns.
Click here for a detailed description
 

    NEW, Piety

Convent decoration stone - The Virgin, Child and Prophets. 
 

A closer view of the decoration stone: Virgin, Child and Prophets

Convent decoration stone:  Descent from the Cross and Mourning.

Closeup of the convent decoration stone:  Descent from the Cross and Mourning

 
Crucifix: 3rd quarter of the 14th century, polychrome wood, height c. 190 cm, 
now in the Holy Cross altarpiece from 1743 in the northern part of the transept.  
Christ in a knee-length perisonium tied on the right. His hands are held high 
diagonally in relation to the horizontal beam of the cross, His legs are straight 
and His feet are crossed. The ribs and the sternum are marked with horizontal stripes. 
His head is slightly leaning to the right, His eyes are half-closed and 
His mouth is half-open.  By 1461 this sculpture was already being mentioned 
as a miraculous one. In this year bishop of Wroclaw, Jan erected 
the chapel of Holy Cross „outside the town”.  In the book of Ignacy Czechowski, 
a priest in Strzelno in 1920s who had access to the ancient parochial documents, 
we can read that the chapel was „in the place where sick people were healed 
in a miraculous way, because in that place was a crucifix fashioned by 
a “folk craftsman” famous because of its miracles.  This crucifix, after the refurbishing of 
Holy Trinity church, was placed over its high altar  
(I. Czechowski, Historia kościołów strzelińskich, Strzelno 1929, pp. 40–43 and 59).  
In any case, the extremely high artistic quality of this crucifix in Strzelno itself 
indicates that it was no mere work of some “folk craftsman”.  In 1743 the crucifix 
was placed in northern arm of transept in the altarpiece which was made 
especially for its exposition.  Thanks to the cultus of this crucifix, we can 
encounter mentions of it in literature from the 18th century 
(see for example: A. D. J. Kraszewski, Zycie swietych y w nadziei swietobliwosci 
zeszlych sług boskich Zakonu Premonstratenskiego ... złozone... obiasnione... podane
vol. 2, Warszawa 1752, p. 351).  
It is also mentioned in bishops’ report from visitations to the house 
(Wizytacje archidiakonatu kruszwickiego z lat 1779–1780 – 
Josephus Rybinski DEI et Apostolica Sedis Gratia Episcopus  
Vladislaviensis et Pomerania Eques Aquilea Alba et Sancti Stanislai
p. 65r, in Archiwum Archidiecezjalne w Gnieznie, A Cons E 19). 
We read there, that in the Crucified Jesus altarpiece we can find a miraculous 
crucifix, famous because of its miracles for an extremely long time.  

 

Closer view of the Miraculous Crucifix

 

A further closeup of the Miraculous Crucifix

 

Closeup of the Miraculous crucifix (perhaps taken with a blue filter)

 

Statue of the The Virgin with the Child: end of the 15th century, polychrome wood, 
height 120 cm, now in the altarpiece from 1743 in St. Restitut chapel.  
A crowned Mary is shown from the front, on her right forearm there is her naked Child, 
also crowned and holding an apple (this is a motif often used in Premonstratensian houses, 
in the tradition of St. Hermann-Josef – a twelfth-century Premonstratensian mystic 
of Steinfeld Abbey). She is wearing a red dress and a golden cloak with an azure lining 
fastened in front. One of the flaps, which is suspended over her left arm, forms two clearly outlined, 
deep folds at the front of the figure. Her complexion is ivory and her hair is brown.  
 
 
Part of the fresco with representation of The Last Judgement: main apse, 15th century.  
This fresco, the upper part of which is preserved, occupies the inner part of the conch. 
In the restored portion, at centre, we see the head of Christ surrounded by a nimbus. 
A diagonal sword and a three-flowered lily protrude from the mouth of Christ. 
Above, there are irregular forms of overlapping clouds. At the sides of Christ the Judge, 
there are representations of Arma Christi – a cross on the right and 
the reed with the sponge on the left. Next to the cross, we can notice 
a fragment of a wing. The dominant colours are shades of blue with elements 
of beige in the nimbus and brown in the sections of Christ’s hair and in the cross. 
The colours are lightened, pastel and broken down with grey. 
Dark contours reveal the figures.  

 

Multiple confessionals

 

Confessional closeup

 
Ground plan of the original convent buildings.