Basilica of Our Lady of Rokitno
The Basilica of Our Lady of Rokitno ( Bazylika Matki Bożej Rokitniańskiej in Polish ) is a church in the Przytoczna parish in the west of Poland's Lubusz Voivodeship . The Marian shrine of the diocese of Zielona Góra-Gorzów has the rank of minor basilica . The church building was built in the 18th century in the Baroque style.
history
The parish of Rokitno ( German Rokitten ) probably already existed in the 12th century. The first wooden church, presumably named after the Archangel Michael , was founded by the Poznan bishop Jan Doliwa after 1333 . On December 18, 1378, the church was given the first mention of the Cistercians . This church was destroyed by the Brandenburgers in 1521 . After a Protestant phase, the church became the property of the Cistercian Abbey of Bledzew in 1661 , from which the miraculous painting of Our Lady was transferred in 1669. The first construction of the new church began in 1705 but was not completed. In 1746 the building was demolished and the construction of the current church according to the design by Karol Mancin Frantz began; it was completed in 1762. The church was consecrated in 1854 by Archbishop Leon Michał Przyłuski . The building was placed under monument protection in 1961. Pope John Paul II granted the church the rank of minor basilica in 2002 .
Architecture and equipment
The plastered brick building was erected on a rectangular, three-aisled floor plan, with a choir with a three-sided apse in the north. A sacristy was added to the choir on the west side and a chapel on the east side. The entrance with the double tower facade is flanked by two square towers covered with helmets . The colored painting of the vaults dates from the 18th century, the rich church furnishings are influenced by the Rococo . The center of the main altar is the painting of Our Lady. The rest of the furnishings are in the Baroque and Rococo styles. Sculptures come from Christian Grünewald from Liegnitz, Georg Wilhelm Neunhertz created the paintings. The abbots of Bledzow and local nobles were buried in crypts.
Portrait of Mary
The painting was painted on limewood by masters of the Dutch school at the beginning of the 16th century. It shows a bust of Our Lady on a gilded background. The head is surrounded by a halo hollowed out in a tree. A characteristic element is the uncovered ear - hence the other name of the painting, Our Lady of Patient Listening. The 40 cm high and 27 cm wide picture is probably a fragment of a larger work.
After various previous owners it came to Rokitno through the abbot of Bledzew. On March 4, 1670, Stefan Wierzbowski, Bishop of Posen, recognized the painting as miraculous. The picture was then part of King Michael I's entourage until 1671 and became a symbol of Poland.
On June 18, 1989, Primate Cardinal Józef Glemp performed a canonical coronation with a crown consecrated by Pope John Paul II in the presence of 120,000 pilgrims . Our Lady of Rokitno was named the patron saint of the diocese of Zielona Góra and Gorzów.
Web links
- Sanctuary website (Polish)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bazylika Matki Bożej Rokitniańskiej on gcatholic.org
- ↑ a b c Basilica of Our Lady on zabytek.pl (English)
- ↑ Basilica on rokitno.org (Polish)
Coordinates: 52 ° 32 ′ 56 " N , 15 ° 38 ′ 30.8" E