Poznań Fara ( pl, Fara Poznańska), also known as the Parish Church or simply Fara, is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

located in the heart of the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

district in

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

, western

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

. It is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks, the most important Christian temple alongside the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

and the finest example of

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...

in Poland. The full name of the Church is Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help,

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

and Saint Stanislaus. It is currently part of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poznań The Archdiocese of Poznań ( la, Posnanien(sis)) is one of 14 archdioceses located in Poland, with the seat located in Poznań. History * 968: Established as Missionary Diocese of Poland with seat in Poznań subordinated directly to the Holy Se ...

. Built between 1651 and 1701, the structure was engineered by Polish and Italian masters in the Baroque style, who also incorporated

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

architectural aspects such as the monumental

Corinthian columns The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order w ...

in the interior. In the mid-18th century

Pompeo Ferrari Pompeo Ferrari (circa 1660 – 15 May 1736) was an Italian architect, known as the best Baroque artist of Greater Poland. Biography He studied in the leading art school of the era – Accademia di San Luca in Rome. After 1696, he lived ...

designed the main altar standing at 17 meters in height and the main entrance from the Old Town. In 1876 an

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

constructed by

Friedrich Ladegast Friedrich Ladegast (August 30, 1818 – June 30, 1905) was a famous German organ builder. Ladegast was born in Hochhermsdorf (now Hermsdorf), Saxony, to a carpenter and cabinet-maker. He worked first for his brother Christlieb, an organ builder ...

was installed inside the Church. The Fara, like most of the city, was spared from destruction during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

History

In 1570 Bishop Adam Konarski brought the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

to Poznań, who were given permission to occupy the former Church of Saint Stanislaus. In 1651, the construction of a new temple began and the plans of which were probably sent from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

(traditionally the author of the project was Bartłomiej Nataniel Wąsowski - rector of the Jesuit College in Poznań and theoretician of architecture). Initial work (until 1652) was directed by Italian-born Tomasz Poncino. The

Swedish Deluge The Deluge ( pl, potop szwedzki, lt, švedų tvanas) was a series of mid-17th-century military campaigns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In a wider sense it applies to the period between the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648 and the Truce ...

(1655-1660) suspended the work. In 1705, the Fara was consecrated, despite the Church being incomplete. In the years 1727-1732 Pompeo Ferrari remodelled the main entry and the interior, thus bringing the final phase of construction to an end. Following the 1773 fire and the 1780 collapse of the nearby Mary Magdalene Collegiate Church, the Fara became the new seat of the Poznań clergy. In 1913 the whole complex was renovated; the work was cut short by

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. During the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

and

, the Fara was spared but stripped of its rich ornaments and turned into a warehouse by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

. War damage was cleared by 1950.

Legend

According to a popular legend, a woman in black appears on the hardly-accessible organ balcony. The ghost was sighted on many occasions, which was often featured in media and news coverage. The woman is said to have donated a large sum to purchase the organ in the 1870s and is guarding the instrument.

Gallery

Fara od ulicy Podgórnej.jpg, The Fara seen from the northern (rear) side Poznań, ul Gołębia - Pl. Kolegiacki, zespół klasztorny jezuitów. dzwonnica, I poł. XVIII, nr. rej. A-149 z 25.02.1931.JPG, Main Tower near the college Poznan, columns in collegiate church.JPG,

and supportive pillars Poznan, copula fresco in colegiate church.JPG, Copula

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

Iglesia colegial de Poznan, Poznan, Polonia, 2014-09-18, DD 34-36 HDR.jpg, Interior of the church.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Poznan Fara Fara Tourist attractions in Poznań Baroque architecture in Poland The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland

History

Legend

Gallery

See also

References

External links