Tuesday, November 18, 2008

That Translates In English To Holy Tree


Last summer during our tour through former East Prussia in modern Poland we unexpectedly found Jesuit monastery in small village Swęta Lipka (former called Heilligelinde) not far from the town Kętrzyn (former Rastenburg) . Since our main attention was paid to the Teutonic castles we made only very short stop near this monastery. At that time we don't know that this monastery is one from the farthest examples of the so called Vilnius baroque school.

First church has been built here in early 1400s. Since this place became destination of Piligrims in 1618 construction of new bigger church was started. In 1688 - 1698 major of reconstruction of monastery has been carroed on while church was finished only in 1730. Construction of church was done by architect which in Polish sources is called Jerzy Ertli. But probably is more correct call him Georg Ertl since this man was bon in Tyrol region of Austria not far from the place were later Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. Around 1665 he came to the Lithuania and worked at the construction of Radziwill's castle in Birzai. In 1672 he became citizen of Vilnius and worked for Jesuit's mainly (e.g. at the construction St.John church, etc.). But his main achievement is the church and monastery in here S.Lipka. Here also worked several other famous masters such as Maciej Jan Meyer in Polish (he is Mathias Johann Meyer in German) and Krzysztof Perwanger in Polish (he is Kristian Perwanger in German).

Today monastery is in very good state and full of tourists from Poland and Germany. Baroque is very rare in Prussia so this style looks very attractive here. But in my non-professional view Sw.Lipka has also many similarities with the Austrian boroque too...

Link (here)

Swęta Lipka home page is (here)

This is a Jesuit "Holy Gem" an apparition site of the Blessed Mother.


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