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Wroclaw, Poland

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

Thank You Dr. Joanna Szczesna, of the Catholic University 
of Lublin, Poland, for your comments below
A medieval depiction of Wroclaw. 
Print of the convent, made in 1562.  (Dr. Joanna Szeczesna)
Copy of a drawing of the convent made in 1589.  (Dr. Joanna Szeczesna)
A very old photograph of the main portal of St. Vincent's Abbey Church, Wroclaw.  Since 1546 this portal has been in the south wall of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Wroclaw.  
A much more recent view (Dr. Joanna Szeczesna)
A full frontage view of the Portal, end of the 12th century, sandstone, since 1546 in southern wall of St. Maria Magdalena church in Wroclaw.

The set–off portal protruding ahead of the face of the wall is equipped with three pairs of columns and a pair of posts upholding four bolsters of the semicircular archivolt. The shafts of the columns are ornamented with floral and geometrical decoration. There are floral, figural and fantasy animal ornaments on the capitals and the floral and figural embellishment on the posts. The shafts of the attic columns are adorned with leaves and angle spurs. The inside of the archivolt has a geometrical and figural décor (the scenes of: The Annunciation of Virgin Mary, The Annunciation to the Shepherds, The Birth of Christ, The Adoration of the Magi, The Offertory in the Temple and The Baptism in the River Jordan), two of them with the motif of a palmette tendril, one with vine sprouts.

(Dr. Joanna Szeczesna)

Closeup of the archivolts.  (Dr. Joanna Szeczesna)
Double-sided tympanum, obverse.  

End of the 12th century, sandstone, 100x210cm, now in National Museum in Wroclaw.

The board has the shape of a semicircle with bilateral bas-relief. On the obverse, there is a scene of The Deposition from the Cross. There are two figures on both sides of the cross with Christ. On the left, there is Mary holding a scarf to her face and a man on the stool leaning slightly towards the cross. On the right, St. John the Evangelist and a man climbing a ladder placed against the limb of the cross. At the top, above the horizontal beam of the cross, there are two angels. In the corners, there are the scenes of The Descent into Hell on the right and The Acceptance of the Good Thief into Heaven on the left. The bas-relief is significantly damaged, the details are indecipherable.

(Dr. Joanna Szeczesna)

Double-sided tympanum, reverse. 

On the reverse, there is The Dormition of Mary. On the axis there is a bed with Mary covered with a long cape in it. On the sides, there are figures of apostles, six of them on each side. Their heads are held up and their eyes are gazing at Christ with the soul of Mary shown as an infant soaring over the bed. At the top on both sides in the spheres marked by the arches, there are angelic choirs. 

(Dr. Joanna Szeczesna)