Fish Square ( Rybi Plac )
Its present-day character has nothing to do with the history of this place. The buildings located here earlier, and yet it is the center of the former Jewish district, almost literally ceased to exist during the Second World War. When in June 1941 the Germans moved to the Soviet positions, they bombarded the right-bank part of the city on the other side of the river. The severely damaged buildings were later completely demolished, leaving the square empty. In its time, it was a marketplace. It also performed representative functions, officials from this city gathered at the monument of gratitude to the Red Army, various ceremonies and assemblies were held … In the past, two cannons defended this place. Today it is one of the largest downtown parking lots in Przemyśl. At the square, we can see the futuristic building of the National Museum of the Przemyśl Land. It is worth going inside and visiting the exhibitions placed here, including: Panorama of the prehistory and early medieval times of the Przemyśl region – the exhibition discusses human life in the context of environmental, cultural, social and economic changes throughout history. The chronological range presented on the exhibition is very wide. It covers the period from approximately the 20th millennium BC to the 13th century AD; Credo for Two Voices – the exhibition presents religious art of two nations – Polish and Ukrainian, which together formed the history of these lands of the Republic of Poland; A Tale of Przemyśl Jews – an exhibition devoted to the history and culture of Przemyśl Jews; Przemyśl Fortress – this is the first exhibition that comprehensively presents the history of the Przemyśl Fortress – one of the most famous strongholds of the First World War.
Helpful information for people with disabilities
There are designated places for tourist coaches and a lot of places for passenger cars. There are also designated areas for people with disabilities. There is enough space to get in and out freely, it is relatively even. This allows you to calmly leave the car, change the disabled person to a wheelchair and start further exploration of the city. Outside the Museum, a ramp designed for wheelchairs leads to the main entrance. Visitors arrive at the spacious ground floor hall where they are greeted by a receptionist at an easily accessible counter. There are no thresholds and restrictions in the Museum. Thanks to the installation of an internal lift (equipped with a voice communicator), the Museum building is completely disabled-friendly. The elevator allows you to reach exhibitions located on four floors, to the museum’s bookstore, library and the observation deck. The passages between the rooms are without thresholds. There are stickers on the glass door, hinged to both sides. On the ground floor, next to the cloakroom, there is a special toilet for the mobility impaired.
Old town square ( Rynek starego miasta )
The most important, central part of the old town is its main square – the Market Square. This empty space in the middle of the city’s old town is its heart. Using poetic comparisons, the market square of every old town is a reflection of its spirit, a material reflection of its history. Usually, it is also the place where the most important municipal offices, headed by the magistrate, have their headquarters. The market square and its buildings are also a representative showcase of the city, proof of its history and splendor. It should be noted that in the period when the cities were founded under German law, it was important to establish a market square to which four streets ran, dividing the city into four quarters. The space of the market squares, apart from the seat of the city authorities and the church, was to serve primarily as a place of trade. That is why in the markets there were butcher shops, commercial buildings (cloth halls, rags), and municipal scales. An important element in the development of the Market Square was also the pillory, where criminals were sentenced. Usually, there was also a city well in the market square, which was necessary, if only because of the public and commercial nature of the place. Today, looking at the Przemyśl Market Square, we should remember that in the old days it was a place full of stalls, vendors and the city bustle. After all, even before the Second World War, small street trade was conducted in the Market Square. When visiting many old European cities, we can very often buy impractical, but so much desired regional souvenirs straight from the stall. The historic town houses and the town hall standing around the Market Square gave the surroundings a certain regularity compared to other squares and streets of the 16th-century Przemyśl. The buildings of Przemyśl townspeople, erected at the end of the 15th century and in the 16th century, served as representative single-family houses, in which there were also commercial warehouses, so necessary in the heyday of the city, when merchants from all over Europe came to Przemyśl. In the 17th century, tenement houses, usually one-story before, had a second floor added. All tenement houses had arcades in the part of the ground floor from the front side, behind them there was a spacious entrance hall, adjacent to the shop and warehouse. In the central part there was a shed lit from above with a staircase and access to the rooms to the upper floors. Behind the shelter, there was a large, representative common room, the so-called “great room”, next to it a small hall led from the shelter to the courtyard. Above the vault of the small hall there was a room called the “tap”, the entrance to which was either in the hall or in the common room. In later centuries, the ground floor space was covered with new walls, creating new architectural divisions due to the change of function into tenement houses. Most of the arcades have also been bricked up. The present appearance of most tenement houses is the result of reconstruction in later times. Fortunately, such “gems” of architecture have been preserved, such as the Hildów tenement house or the historic portal, also in the tenement house in the southern frontage. In the eastern frontage, the Brzykowska tenement house, the current seat of the Museum of the History of the City of Przemyśl – a branch of the MNZP, in which the division of the interior was restored in accordance with the state of preservation from the period before the partitions, deserves attention. The Przemyśl Market Square, in spite of most of the analogous main squares of the old towns, is sloping, which reminds guests coming to the city that we – thoughtfully walk our whole life up or down, because most of our unique old town is located on picturesque but steep slopes of hills. Also uncomfortable, the so-called “cat’s heads” are evidence of the history of this place. They hide the secret of the rich, but often tragic history of the city on the San River. Under these stones are the relics of the town hall, which for several centuries was a proof of the pride and wealth of Przemyśl. There were six tenement houses in the no longer existing western wall of the Market Square. Four tenement houses were demolished at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the last ones were destroyed during World War II. In the place of tenement houses, today we can see a fountain with the symbol of Przemyśl, i.e. a bear, or maybe a bear … It was established in the mid-1960s as an investment of a social action, unique in the country of the times of the Polish People’s Republic. It was established on the initiative of the inhabitants, not on the orders of the then authorities. All works related to its construction were carried out without any remuneration. The bears were cast in the Ludwisarnia Jan Felczyński. A little lower is a statue commemorating Józef Szwejk from Jaroslav Hašek’s novel The adventures of the good soldier Švejk. The author of the sculpture of the Przemyśl Szwejk is the sculptor Jacek Michał Szpak. The sculpture was cast in bronze in the studio of prof. Karol Badyna in Krakow. It shows a soldier sitting on an ammunition crate, holding a mug of beer and a pipe. The inscription reads: “The figure was placed thanks to the efforts of the Przemyśl Association of Friends of the Good Soldier Szwejk ( “Przemyskie Stowarzyszenie Przy-jaciół Dobrego Wojaka Szwejka” ) AD 2008″. Looking west, we will see contemporary life-size sculptures of the Polish lancer and Hungarian honwed. This monument, reminiscent of the Polish-Hungarian friendship, stands in front of the former Knight’s Gate, i.e. the representative entrance to the officers’ casino. In the eastern frontage, at Rynek 9, the Museum of the History of the City of Przemyśl is located. In the museum, we can see, among others: Exhibitions of bourgeois interiors from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries – in five rooms there are elements of bourgeois interior design from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Individual rooms were arranged in the atmosphere of different epochs, from the Biedermeier (living room) to the interwar period (kitchen); In the former photo atelier – in the hall and two rooms, the interior of the former photo studio was recreated on the basis of objects from Bernard Henner’s and Adam Wysocki’s photography studios.
Helpful information for people with disabilities
We have to cross (cross) to the other side of Ratuszowa Street. There is a marked pedestrian crossing next to the museum with curbs that are not completely lowered. The active wheelchair will pass without any problems, but the electric wheelchair will be difficult. A more convenient exit is right next to the crossing in front of Serbańska Street. Continue up Serbańska Street – keep to the right. We turn right into Kazimierza Wielkiego Street (Kazimierzowska) and after a while we are at the Market Square. The most convenient way to move around the Market Square is its lower (northern) part. We can easily get to Szwejk and the Knight’s Gate from here. Access to the fountain is more difficult due to the steep descents for wheelchairs. Driving diagonally through the Market Square is difficult – uneven cube, inclined alley. City History Museum – a ramp leads to the entrance, and an elevator is installed outside. The great achievement is the introduction to the historic space of the 16th. the century tenement house, modern lifts and stair platforms, equipped with an alarm, allowing free access to the exhibition rooms for people in wheelchairs The passages between the rooms are without thresholds. On the second floor there is a toilet for the mobility impaired.
Roman Catholic Archcathedral ( Archikatedra rzymskokatolicka )
3 Zamkowa street
The present basilica is the third Latin episcopal church in Przemyśl. The first cathedral since the formal erection of the diocese in 1375 until 1412 was the wooden church of Saints Peter and Paul, standing in the square next to today’s Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From 1412 to 1460, the church of hewn stone at the Castle served as the second cathedral. The present archcathedral basilica is a three-nave structure with a baroque interior combined with a gothic chancel. According to archaeological research carried out in 1961 by A. Kunysz, the gothic presbytery of the medieval cathedral was built on an even older temple. The construction of the present cathedral in the Gothic style was started in 1452 by Bishop Mikołaj Błażejowski together with the Chapter. However, due to financial problems, he managed to complete only the gothic chancel, built of large stone blocks, after which the construction was suspended for many years. Further works were resumed at the end of the 15th century, so that as a result, the central nave was built, and the whole building was covered with a wooden roof. However, during one of the numerous at that time Tatar attacks on the city in 1495, a great fire broke out, which destroyed the newly built main nave with the roof. Major renovation works began under Bishop Maciej of Drzewica Drzewicki (1505–1513), when the pillars were repaired and a new roof covered with baked clay tiles was made. In view of the repeated armed attacks on the city at the beginning of the 16th century, it was decided to give the cathedral a defensive character. A watchtower was built, a defensive rampart was placed in front of each entrance, gunpowder and cannons were purchased for the needs of the cathedral parish, and heavy forged doors were built. The furnishing of the church with elements of its decoration also continued: stained glass windows were installed, a stone floor was laid, and a bell was installed on the roof. The church was finally finished in 1549 during the reign of Bishop Jan Dziaduski (1545–1559). In 1578, the starost of Przemyśl, Jan Tomasz Drohojowski, founded the present chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The seventeenth century was not favorable, due to the numerous wars that Poland had to wage in its defense, with the works on the expansion of the city and its churches. The Gothic cathedral served the Przemyśl bishops until the beginning of the 18th century. Torn by time in the construction and decoration of the interior, Bishop Aleksander Fredro (+1734) decided to rebuild, according to the taste of his time in a new baroque style. Works started in 1728. The huge Baroque Great Altar and new stalls were placed in the presbytery, but the Gothic structure of the interior with pilasters and vault ribs was left. On the other hand, in the naves the pillars of the vault were replaced, windows were widened, baroque altars and confessionals were erected, a marble floor was laid, walls and cornices were covered with bright polychrome with rich gilding. A magnificent portico was added to the front, and to the south, a chapel with a tomb crypt for the Fredro family was added. When the reconstruction was over, it was a disaster. On Carnival Sunday in 1733, after the service, the vault of the nave and one pillar collapsed. The reconstruction was completed in 1744 under Bishop Wacław Sierakowski, who also solemnly re-consecrated the cathedral. In this baroque robe, it served the diocese at the end of the 19th century, when in 1883 Bishop Łukasz Solecki resumed the work of a thorough restoration of his temple according to the design of Tomasz Pryliński, an architect from Kraków. The chancel was restored to its original gothic character by uncovering the square wall and buttress from the outside, extending the windows and providing them with stone traceries and stained glass windows designed by Jan Matejko. A neo-Gothic Great Altar and stalls were built. The naves were left in the Baroque style, but altars and the pulpit were replaced, the walls of the naves and the chancel, and the pillars were surrounded by oak paneling. The entire wooden interior was made by Ferdynand Majerski from Przemyśl. The interior of the cathedral was covered with polychrome by Tadeusz Popiel from Krakow. After the death of bishop Solecki in 1900, his work was continued by the well-deserved bishop Sebastian Pelczar (1900–1924). In 1901, T. Popiel, an artist painter from Krakow, began his first works in the cathedral. The construction of the cathedral tower was also continued by pulling up the second storey, giving four-meter-high figures at its corners and placing four 2.5-meter-diameter illuminated clock faces. The entire 71-meter tower was crowned with a pseudo-baroque cupola topped with a 4.5-meter cross, so that the tower is a true ornament of the city. On October 30, 1910, on the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald, the “Grunwald slab” was installed in the southern outer wall of the chancel. The bas-relief depicts the moment when King Władysław Jagiełło and Queen Jadwiga entered Przemyśl and were welcomed by Bishop Eric Winsen. Among the townspeople forming the background of the greeting, one can recognize contemporary Przemyśl personalities: bishop Pelczar, mayor of Doliński, doctor Tarnowski, member of the Sejm and others. The requisition made by the invader for war purposes in 1915 deprived the church of three out of four bells and a significant number of organ pipes. These losses were made up only in 1928 by purchasing new organs from the Biernacki brothers’ company in Poznań. Coming back to the figure of the Przemyśl bishop, J. S. Pelczar, it is worth mentioning that he also made great contributions to the cultural life of the city. An example of this is the fact that he founded the Archdiocese Museum in Przemyśl, located in former school buildings opposite the main entrance to the temple, and the impact on raising the level of singing and church music in the interwar period. As for the further fate of the cathedral, they were related to the events of the war. On June 25, 1941, during the German-Soviet fights, a bomb damaged a bell on the cathedral roof, in which, unfortunately during the war, some of the cathedral treasures and an inventory of its equipment were hidden. Like the stained glass windows by J. Matejko in the chancel, which was cracked due to the explosion, the treasures and inventory were destroyed. Despite the occupation, Bishop Franciszek Barda (1933–1966) immediately after the destruction began to repair the roof. The bell was not made then, but it was rebuilt only in 1985. In the last years of the 20th century, further restoration works were carried out on the temple. At that time, walls of the presbytery and a new facade of the cathedral was built. The interior has also been restored. At that time, a new floor was also laid. In 2000, a new metal main door was made to the cathedral designed by Zofia Mitał, and in 2008, new metal doors appeared in both atriums. When it comes to historic buildings located in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, it is worth mentioning the bishop’s palace built in 1754, which is located behind the northern wall of the temple. The cathedral was connected with the existence of an important educational institution in Przemyśl, namely the cathedral school. It was built at the beginning of the 15th century, and from the 18th century it was moved to the missionary building, now located opposite the baroque facade of the temple. On Zamkowa Street, there is the building of the Latin Rite Theological Seminary, in the chapel of which there are frescoes of the famous church painter Rosen from the interwar period, and also monuments transferred here in the 19th century from the former cathedral. Currently, there are 20 posthumous monuments in the cathedral, mainly of Przemyśl bishops. Today, a number of valuable souvenirs are housed in 13 altars in the temple. The most beautiful one seems to be the alabaster statue of Our Lady of Jack, located in the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to legend, the Dominican missionary, Jacek Odrowąż, staying in Kiev in the first half of the 13th century, while escaping from this city, carried the figurine with him and on his way to Krakow he was to leave it in Przemyśl. Another valuable monument is the oldest cathedral altar of St. Stanislaus, made of black marble in 1610 and a beautiful baroque baptismal font purchased by the cathedral chapter in 1692. Many valuable relics are also in the treasury of the temple, which include: a baroque golden chalice from the 17th century, monstrance reliquaries, eighteenth-century chasubles, the crowns of Our Lady of Jack, a golden monstrance from 1765, numerous chalices and cans for communicants.
Helpful information for people with disabilities
We reach the cathedral along Fredry Street, which departs from the Market Square in the middle of the upper (southern) frontage. In this place, i.e. at the intersection of Fredry and Grodzka streets, there are no exits for prams. Therefore, it is most convenient to leave the Market Square along the eastern frontage and then along Grodzka Street to the crossing with Fredro. It is true that there is normal car traffic here, but fortunately the entire area is marked as “residence zone”. Here you have to take the pavement on the left and take the steep Fredry Street to Katedralna Street. We turn right and we are next to the Roman Catholic Cathedral. You can easily tour (go around) the entire temple and see it from the outside. Access to the interior for a wheelchair user only through the side entrance; as a rule, the entrance from the right (south) side is open. We open the outer metal door without any problem; internal, swinging ones are equipped with very strong springs – without help (someone has to hold them) it is impossible to force them. A person in a wheelchair will only enter the tower (belfry) after prior notification; the entrance rails must be folded out in order to overcome two steps. Then, the elevator can go to the first floor where there are monitors and manipulators controlling cameras. The cameras are located at the top of the tower and show the panorama of the city. The Archdiocese Museum is wheelchair accessible. Access from the rear side. It has an elevator and a properly adapted toilet.
Greek Catholic Archcathedral ( Archikatedra greckokatolicka )
1 Katedralna street
When we look closely at the temple, we notice that its shapes do not resemble a typical church architecture. And this is not a coincidence. Originally it was a Jesuit temple. The Jesuits came to Przemyśl in 1610. The construction of the currently existing temple was carried out in the years 1626-1632, probably according to the design of Giacomo Briano, with the construction and modification of Jakub Solari. Its founder was Anna Tyrawska – Ulińska. About a hundred years later, Stefan Grodzicki carried out the woodcarving work. The construction of the college began in 1647 and it lasted in stages until 1757. Another building, the so-called The new College was established from around 1709 to 1724. In 1714 the church was reinforced with buttresses. Destroyed in 1737 by a whirlwind (e.g. the upper floors of the towers collapsed). According to a design by Józef Degan, in the years 1769–1772 the towers were rebuilt, the top of the front elevation was changed and new windows of the nave were built. In 1773, the papal dissolution of the congregation took place, the former Jesuits continued to serve the church, which then became a school temple. In the buildings of the College and the New College, a gymnasium was established, and in 1820 a military school (the College). In the same year (1820), the church galleries partially collapsed, as a result of which the church was closed and turned into a military warehouse. In 1840, the bell was pulled down, and from 1855 the building was not used. Earlier, in 1846, the New College was extended by a second floor. In 1903, a decision was made to demolish the church. As a result of the intervention of the then conservator and the Przemyśl bishop, Józef Sebastian Pelczar, the intention was changed. The church and the college were handed over to the curia. The temple has been restored, largely thanks to the financial support of Pelchar. The works were carried out in the years 1903–1904 according to the design of Stanisław Majerski and under his supervision. The main altar, one of the side altars and the pulpit were made in the workshop of Ferdynand Majerski. Church consecrated in 1904. Of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a subsidiary church of the cathedral and served as a garrison church. There was a printing house in the College, it housed apartments and, from 1908, the Diocesan Museum. In 1941, the temple was partially destroyed and the building of the New College burned down. From 1956, the church continues to function as a garrison church. Liturgy in the Byzantine-Ukrainian rite began to be celebrated here in 1957. In 1959, the building of the New College was a ruin, from which the perimeter walls survived. Reconstruction took place in the years 1960–1962, when the gable roof was changed to the current three-slope roof. In 1991, the temple was handed over by Pope John Paul II to Greek Catholics for the cathedral church of St. John the Baptist. Under the order of the Pope, the Przemyśl-Warsaw archieparch was established in 1996. Since 1996, an archcathedral cathedral. In the years 1996–1999 the church underwent a general renovation, combined with a new interior arrangement. The main altar and the pulpit were moved to the Benedictine Church in Jarosław, while the iconostasis from the Orthodox church in Lubaczów, which was part of the collection of the local Borderlands Museum, was introduced into the interior. In the years 2007–2009, a major renovation of the College building was carried out (previously the Museum moved to a new seat) and now it serves an educational function. The church is typically baroque. Outside, there are two identical towers on the sides of the magnificent facade and a lot of stairs leading to the entrance. The most beautiful decoration in the middle of the church is the magnificent 17th-century iconostasis. Before it reached Przemyśl in 1993, it was located in several different churches, as well as in the Kresy Museum in Lubaczów. It presents the style of Western Ukrainian church painting. Next to the temple there is a belfry built in modern times with figures representing the patrons of Ruthenia: Saints Olga and Vladimir.
Helpful information for people with disabilities
As of today, a person in a wheelchair will not get inside. Numerous stairs are an obstacle. From the side of Katedralna Street there are a lot of these stairs, but you can go a bit further with the temple on the right side; then enter the parking lot next to the bell tower and you have skipped 2/3 of the stairs. According to the information received from the parish priest, a side entrance to the church is to be built at the level of the belfry. If (when) this investment comes to fruition, there will be no problem getting inside. Standing next to the belfry of the Greek Catholic cathedral, you can perfectly see the Discalced Carmelite Church. It’s the one above. We have to leave the parking lot at the belfry and, unfortunately, go up the street up the road. Then, turning left, steeply up the driveway to the front of the church. Stairs make it difficult for a person in a wheelchair to access the interior of the temple. They are not very steep, but without help it will not work.
Discalced Carmelite Church ( Kościół Karmelitów Bosych )
1a Karmelicka street
The Discalced Carmelite Convent in Przemyśl was erected on May 13, 1620 (foundation and consecration of the St. Teresa of Jesus chapel), on the initiative of Father Andrzej of Jesus (Brzechwa) and the Przemyśl starost, owner of Krasiczyn – Marcin Krasicki. He established a foundation to build and maintain the monastery, powered by the rich nobility of Przemyśl. On the part of the Order, the donation from the lands acquired by the foundation was accepted in court (October 5, 1620) by Father Andrew of Jesus, provincial definitor. He was the first Pole in the Order of the Barefoot Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (born May 28, 1584, religious profession in 1603). He was famous as an outstanding preacher, which most likely drew the attention of Count Marcin Krasicki. He was the first to translate the writings of St. John of the Cross. He died in Przemyśl on April 29, 1640, buried in the crypt of the church. The first prior of the convent was Father Stefan of St. Teresa (Kucharski). At that time, the entire religious community moved from Wiśnicz to Przemyśl. Initially, the monks lived in the Herburtowski manor, in the area adjacent to the later monastery with the church. Work on its construction began in 1624. They were completed in 1630, when the church of st. Teresa, and a cemetery was marked out in the adjacent area. The monastery, originally single-story, was later expanded. Due to the condition in which the buildings were put into use, further finishing works continued in the 18th century. Thanks to the generosity of the local gentry and townspeople, the interior of the church was equipped and decorated in the then dominant Baroque style. It’s the one above. We have to leave the parking lot at the belfry and, unfortunately, go up the street up the road. Then, turning left, steeply up the driveway to the front of the church. Stairs make it difficult for a person in a wheelchair to access the interior of the temple. They are not very steep, but without help it will not work. and rococo. In 1667, the main altar (currently not reconstructed) was completed and the floor was paved with marble. Later, a sacristy and a choir with a decorative balustrade were added. The underground of the church became the burial place of the founder (1631, buried in the Carmelite habit), monks and beneficiaries of the monastery. The first monk who was buried in the basement was Fr. Makara of the Blessed Sacrament (Demeska). In 1624, he went to the Tatars for negotiations in order to pay a ransom in return for leaving the city free. The fact that he knew their language determined the success of the mission. However, after refusing to convert to Islam, he was martyred on June 4. The development of apostolic work (including the cult of Our Lady of the Scapular, the Brotherhood of St. Joseph) and the rooting of the monastery in Przemyśl resulted in the creation of the novitiate of the Polish Province of the Order in Przemyśl (1642), and for some time (after 1740) the College of Philosophical. In 1724 it was decided in Przemyśl to establish the Lithuanian Province of the Discalced Carmelite Order. The successful development of the monastery was interrupted by the First Partition of Poland. On April 24, 1784, by an imperial decree, Joseph II dissolved the Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Przemyśl. He handed over the buildings to Greek Catholics, who transformed the church into a cathedral church, and the monastery into the seat of the bishopric of this rite. The Holy See did not approve these changes. The Discalced Carmelites were transferred to the monastery in Zagórze. New users began to adapt (the iconostasis with the tsarist gate in place of the main altar, painting the frescoes, new belfry, distortion of the original body of the church by erecting a pseudo-dome in place of the baroque signature, and in 1881 a new dome and lowering the facade and roof of the temple). With the Church of st. Teresa and the monastery were Greek Catholics until 1946 (the bishop was deported to the Soviet Union). In the same year, the Discalced Carmelites returned to the convent and church. The intensification of the fight against the Church on the part of the Polish People’s Republic led to the nationalization of the monastery by an administrative decision of July 7, 1952. The friars were deported at night, but later it was allowed to use a small part of the monastery rooms to care for the church. Until 1989, the monastery, which became a boarding house with a medical laboratory school, housed various institutions. In view of the political changes of the 70s and 80s, the Bosnian Carmelites were able to undertake intensive renovation works in the church. In 1990, after the political changes of the Round Table, the monastery in Przemyśl was given to the Barefoot Carmelites as a result of the act on the return of sacred buildings to the Church. In 1991, a dispute arose over the Church of st. Teresa, which the Greek Catholics wanted to occupy. Thanks to the generosity and firm attitude of the faithful, Pope John Paul II handed over the nearby post-Jesuit church to the Greek Catholics, leaving the church of st. Teresa to the rightful owners (since then it took over the role of the garrison church, which was previously the former Jesuit church). In the following years, the Bosnian Carmelites undertook reconstruction and renovation works of both the church and the monastery. In the years 2008–2012, the postulants made their annual formation in the monastery. Over time, the top floor of the building was adapted to the needs of a retreat house. The church is an early baroque building, consisting of a three-nave basilica with a transept and a semicircular chancel. The chapel of St. Rafał Kalinowski. The facade has four stories narrowing upwards with a triangular gable, framed by volute flows with stone obelisks, fragmented by pilasters and prominent cornices. The church is covered with gable roofs with an octagonal turret with a spire. Inside, the walls of the church are divided by composite pilasters supporting massive cornices. Vaults in the nave, transept arms and barrel-shaped presbytery with lunettes, the rest are barrel-cross. The church vaults have rich stucco decorations, late Renaissance from the 17th century and transformed in the 19th century. The main altar of the church was made in 1982 with the use of Rococo sculptures from the side altar. Complete late baroque side altars from 1772-80, from the Lviv school, have survived from the former furnishings. Among other monuments, the rococo pulpit from 1799 in the shape of a ship on a rock, with a mast and a sail forming a canopy, with sculptures of the apostles sitting at the side: St. Peter and Paul, holding nets and oars, is noteworthy. In 1991, after the former Jesuit church was handed over to Greek Catholics, the Church of St. Teresa, took over the function of the garrison temple. Hence, the signs of military units formerly and now stationed in Przemyśl and numerous commemorative plaques have appeared on the walls of the temple.
Helpful information for people with disabilities
The access to the church itself is difficult because it is very steep. Stairs make it difficult for a person in a wheelchair to access the interior of the temple. They are not very steep, but without help it will not work.
Church of the Conventual Franciscans (Kościół Franciszkanów Konwentualnych)
2a Franciszkańska street
The Franciscans came to Przemyśl in 1235; initially they held services in the church of St. Peter, and then in his own wooden church, standing in the place of the present, for which he was to give them land, a convert from Orthodoxy, a rich blacksmith Andrzej Seren. It was not until 1379, mainly at the expense of the ex-Franciscan bishop, Eryk Mora, that the site of today’s brick Gothic church, which can be seen in the old illustrations, was erected, with a stepped abutment of the facade and an apse facing east. In the eighteenth century, when the building required renovation, and the old gothic did not correspond to the artistic taste of the era, it was demolished, and in 1754 the then guardian of Ostrów, with a lot of financial help from Archbishop Sierakowski, started the construction of the current one, which was finished only after the first partition in 1778 In 1848 and 1875 it was restored. The church exhibits a Baroque compilation with the classical style that was pressed in at the time, represented on the façade by Ionic columns. The façade is also decorated with two towers, and frescoes in the lower and door frames, depicting the saints of the order and bishops, benefactors of the monastery. Also on the apse we have a fresco depicting the miracle of St. Francis of Envelope, rising into the air during the sermon. The stairs leading to the church are decorated with rococo, ecstatically twisted sandstone sculptures depicting the Virgin Mary and two Franciscan saints; especially the figure of Mother Mary is a very good and characteristic work of art of its time. The door leading to the church has an artistic iron fittings from the 18th century. The church is a three-nave, basilica structure, and is generally faithfully maintained in the form that was given to it by the 18th century. – the ornamentation is therefore dominated by Rococo with an admixture of late Baroque. Two are the main ornaments of the church that are immediately visible at the entrance; a magnificent great altar and frescoes covering the vault and walls of the entire church. On both sides of the presbytery there are two huge portraits of the founders of the old and present church, bishop Eryk Mora (who is depicted in the dress and appearance of the bishop of the day of Sigismund III) and Wacław Sierakowski, and behind them slightly smaller portraits of the benefactors of the church, Lawrence of the Sea, the chaplain of Horoden († 1770) and Johann Sebastian Morski, a hunter from Chervonograd, founder of the crowns for the miraculous painting of the Virgin Mary. The most important decoration of the church are rococo paintings covering the entire vault of the church, both in the main nave and side naves, and even in the sacristy, and partly also on the walls. These frescoes, painted with great artistic flourish, very good in terms of drawing and composition, are very well made in perspective and they confuse architecture, thus becoming its extension and complement, which was one of the characteristic features of Baroque art. Their author is the Lviv painter Stanisław Stroiński, the author of numerous frescoes in the churches of Lviv (cathedral, St. Martin), Drohobycz, Leżajsk, Bielin, Tartakowa, undoubtedly the best Polish illusionist painter of the 18th century. century, the first to compete in this field with previously imported Italian painters. In this way, the artistic value of the frescoes and the fact that they are the work of a Polish brush place them among the best artistic monuments of Przemyśl. Apart from the artistic one, they also have great historical and moral value, especially for the appearance of the old Przemyśl. The best preserved in terms of color are the frescoes in the sacristy, where on the vault we can see the Pentecost, and on the walls medallions with images of Franciscan saints and St. Anthony preaching to the Pope. In the presbytery above the great altar, a very nice fresco depicts the Annunciation; above the nave, in one fresco the Coronation of the Mother of God, in the other a series of saints, including Kazimierz, Stanisław, Wojciech, Wacław, Jacek and Jan Kanty in adoration. Above the choir, on the wall, two frescoes depict scenes from the life of the Order, and on one of them we can see the Virgin Mary appearing for a Scottish Franciscan, who mainly contributed to proving the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The frescoes on the rear walls of the aisles are very characteristic; on the right, the murder of the Franciscans by the Wallachians in the Przemyśl market square in 1498, while the market square and the former town hall are painted as it was in 1773, i.e. when the church was painted – while in the left aisle there is a scene of the escape of Rakoczi Hungarians, escaping in 1773. 1657 before the procession with the relics of St. Wincentego, against the background of the view of the eastern half of the town from the partition period. On the wall next to it, there is a scene where Colonel Uliński donated a miraculous painting of Jesus to guardian Ostrowski in 1770. On the vaults of the aisles there are three frescoes with scenes mostly referring to the saints of the Franciscan order. And so, in the left aisle, we first have a very characteristic scene depicting an Italian city street along which St. Anthony with the blessed sacrament in hand; he is met by a heretic who does not believe in the Transubstantiation, therefore St. Antoni convinces him by making a donkey kneel in front of the Host, and he is handed hay on the other side. The second fresco depicts the revelation of Christ to St. Antoni, who is watched by the host of the apartment through the door (naturally dressed in French attire of the end of the 18th century), and the third is praying in front of the miraculous painting of Jesus placed in the chapel. Among those praying and lying on the cross, we see even a sick person on the bed. In the right nave, the first and second frescoes depict the apotheoses of the Franciscan martyrs, lifted by angels to heaven, the third – St. Francis, who, after stigmatization, occupies, according to legend, the throne once intended for Lucifer. Adjacent to the right nave is the Chapel of P. Jesus, in the altar of which there is a miraculous painting of a gift from Colonel Uliński. The entrance to the chapel, originally intended for the miraculous painting of the Virgin Mary, is closed with a forged grate made in Robliczek’s studio in Przemyśl. Much more modest than the main altar are the side altars, which do not stand out with sculptures or paintings. Only four of them remain from the time of the construction of the church, placed next to the pillars, which have very original and valuable antepedias carved from wood, gilded, and baroque from the 18th century. v. They are of a similar type to the antepedias in Horodenka and Buchach, and in a strange way combine the naivety of Gothic sculpture with the pomposity of the Baroque. In particular, on the left we have the altar of St. Vincent, whose old painting, covered with a golden dress, is hidden behind the image of St. Tekla, by Tabiński. On the altar there are relics of the patron saint of the city, St. Vincent, brought here in 1651 by the castellan of Ulińska, to whom legend claims that the city was freed from the siege by Hungarians in 1657. The frontage in this altar depicts Christ in Gethsemane. Below, there is an altar of the Transfiguration of the Lord with an entrance depicting the expulsion of St. Roch by his uncle for taking care of the sick. On the right side of the nave, the altar of St. Valentine, we have an old statue of St. James, and the antepedium depicting the patron saint of contagious diseases, St. Roch, burying the dead of the plague. The baroque pulpit has a bas-relief on the front, depicting the sermon of St. Anthony for fish; above, the figure of St. Francis of Assisi, who has a sermon for the birds. There is a second underground church under the church, built to be used for tombs and funerals. Many corpses of the local nobility from the 17th and 18th centuries were moved here from the former church, when, however, during the reign of Joseph II. it was forbidden to bury the dead in churches, the crypt was closed. Today, the room is used for various exhibitions, performances, etc. The church used to have a rich archive and library, of which today only small remnants remain. The artists who collaborated in building and decorating the church are unknown to us, except for Stroiński. However, bearing in mind that Archbishop Sierakowski was a co-founder of the church, it can be assumed that he used the same artists to build the Franciscan church in Przemyśl, i.e. the architect Piotr Polejowski, sculptors Maciej Polejowski, Obrowski and Jan Kruszanowski, and next to him Stroiński was also the Italian painter Tavelio.
Helpful information for people with disabilities
Let’s not even try to get to it through the main entrance from Franciszkańska Street – another set of stairs prevents us from doing so. We will get to the church through the side entrance. From the Carmelite Church we go down the same road we got here. On the left side we pass the Greek Catholic cathedral and in front of us we can see the back of the Franciscan church. We turn right into Śnigurskiego Street (from the Carmelite Church to this place we have to use the road – no exits from curbs) and on the left side you can see a passable gate – this is where we turn. After passing through the gate, you will find yourself at the back of the Franciscan church and monastery and other tenement houses. On the left there are stairs with a ramp for prams. In front of the stairs, there is a side entrance to the church. We leave the Franciscan Church through the same side door and the gate leading to Śnigurskiego Street. Now we turn right and follow the pavement to Asnyka Street. Down Asnyka Street and turn right to Franciszkańska Street. Now we are waiting for a quiet walk along the entire length of Franciszkańska Street. Good, comfortable surface. On the way, we pass first the pediment of the Conventual Franciscan Church on the right, then the Independence Square, popularly known as Karolek, with the statue of Pope John Paul II and the Clock Tower, which houses the Museum of Bells and Pipes. Unfortunately, due to the architecture, this property is completely inaccessible to wheelchair users. Continue straight on along Franciszkańska Street to Na Bramie Square. On the other side of the square you can see the Franciscan Reformed Church. We want to continue straight ahead, past this church, so we have to cross the square using the pedestrian crossings guarded by traffic lights. One curb on the island is too high so help is needed here. We move on, leaving the church on the left, and turn into the first street on the left – Sowińskiego Street. This street will lead us to the train station.
Railway station ( Dworzec kolejowy )
2 Legionów Square
With the construction of the Przemyśl Fortress, the city experienced a period of prosperity. New roads were created, trade and crafts developed. Due to such a dynamic development, an extensive railway infrastructure was also necessary. In 1860, a railway station was opened, boasting a connection with Lviv and Vienna. When the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was established in 1867, it was even necessary to connect with Budapest, and in 1872 one was created. The station was rebuilt in 1895 in a neo-baroque style. Subsequent renovation works took place in the 21st century. In the years 2010–2012, at the cost of over PLN 25 million, the station underwent a thorough renovation under the supervision of a conservator, which restored its appearance from over a hundred years ago. The railway station is visually similar to magnate mansions. The interior makes a huge impression even on city residents. The main hall is decorated with paintings by Feliks Wygrzywalski and Jan Talaga, which show the coats of arms of Przemyśl, Kraków, Lviv, Stanisławów (Iwanofrankowska) and allegories of technological achievements. There are two sightseeing routes from the main hall. Turning to the right you will reach the modern waiting room, while going left – to the restaurant room, which now houses the “Perła Przemyśla” restaurant. On the way to the former hall, you pass waiting rooms. One of them has an antique floor. In the aforementioned restaurant room, you can see paintings by Marian Stroński, the most famous painter of Przemyśl, showing the panorama of the city and a view of the towers of the Royal Castle in Przemyśl.
Helpful information for people with disabilities
This is the last point of our trip – we have to get back to the car. So back through Na Bramie Square, through the same pedestrian crossings, we return to the beginning of Franciszkańska Street. At the fork, turn right towards Kazimierza Wielkiego Street. As a reward for the hardships, we visit the country-famous ice cream shop (it is on the right) and then a bit further we turn right into Serbańska Street, which leads us to the parking lot. Toilets adapted for wheelchair users at the station.
Advice and tips for people with disabilities
The number of trips or tourist excursions in which disabled people participate is constantly growing. The tourism industry is waking up to the special needs of tourists with disabilities, offering more and more services and accommodation. The amount of information about available travels is impressive – most of it is generated by the travelers themselves. The UN Convention on “Rights of Persons with Disabilities” guarantees that disabled travelers will be treated equally to non-disabled people. Unfortunately, it’s not a perfect world, and in real life, things don’t always work properly. Accessibility rules vary widely from country to country. Regardless of common sense, public sentiment and numbers, disabled travelers often face inadequate opportunities, prejudices, misinformation, general hardship and higher prices than other travelers. The problem is that there are as many types of disability as there are people with disabilities. Everyone’s needs are slightly different, so organizing a tourist trip: providing adequate transport, hotel rooms, food, etc. can be very difficult. The following tips will help disabled tourists and their assistants to anticipate some travel difficulties.
Practical tips for disabled tourists
- Call ahead. In many cases, travel service providers are legally required to host people with disabilities. However, most of them take some time to take the necessary steps. Please note your needs when booking and call again 24 to 48 hours prior to arrival to confirm that the hotel reservation has been made.
- Be specific and understandable when describing a disability. Not all service providers are familiar with the “jargon” about your travel restrictions or medical conditions. Provide as much detail as possible about what you can and cannot do, and don’t underestimate the severity of your disability. The more information the provider receives, the better he will be able to satisfy you. If you have been promised certain terms, try to get these promises in writing.
- Be specific and clear about your trip to the doctor. Your doctor can prescribe measures to help with your long journey, pinpoint an available medical facility at your destination, prescription drug unavailability, and other travel traps. Be prepared – in some cases, the doctor may question the advisability of the trip.
- Take your doctor’s details and phone number with you. Travel with a medical certificate, preferably on a form that identifies your condition, medications, possible complications, special needs, and other pertinent information. Make sure you have an emergency number for your doctor (or other health care professional) at any time of the day.
- Check the availability of a doctor for the duration of the trip. Your doctor, insurance company, or local embassy can provide the names and contact numbers of doctors at your destination.
- Carry important medical information, preferably in an easily accessible place, so that the health care professional or anyone who will help you can find it easily (passport, wallet, personal medication…).
- Consider using a specialized travel agency. Some organizers specialize in a variety of services: one may have extensive experience working with travelers with a hearing impairment, and the other with travelers with developmental disabilities. Since the requirements of these people are radically different, try to find someone who knows everything about your needs.
- Avoid connecting flights. Please note that wheelchairs are items that must be transported in the luggage compartments and you have to wait to retrieve them. By flying direct flight you can save the time needed and avoid confusion. One exception: if you are having trouble maneuvering in the airplane’s toilets, long flights can become uncomfortable – so a series of shorter flights may be the better option. If you decide to travel with transfers, please make sure you have enough time between flights (we recommend at least 90 minutes or two hours if you need to pass through customs) to move from one terminal to the other.
- Make sure you have enough time to check in before your flight, go through security and go to the terminal Arrive at least two hours before your domestic flight and three hours before your international flight – more if you’re traveling during peak hours.
- Please consult your flight attendant to prepare an exit plan before landing your plane.
- Don’t forget to transfer to and from the airport. If you have a wheelchair, make an appointment in advance to have a suitable taxi reach your destination.
- Take spare parts and tools. Wheelchairs can carry enormous loads when traveling; Collect a small set of spare parts and emergency repair tools. In some flights or in other situations, the wheelchair may need to be disassembled; make sure you and your traveling companions know how to do this. Bike shops – these are great places to repair wheelchairs.
- Learn foreign words that will help you describe your situation and needs.
- Take out insurance for the duration of your trip. Make sure your insurance covers all relevant situations.
- Take as many medications as possible with you, even in addition to those you are taking. Make sure all medications are allowed in the country you are visiting.
- Look for organizations or communities with disabilities in your destination that can provide you with information about the area as well as local contacts
- If you’re using an electric wheelchair, make sure you don’t need a voltage adapter and converter. Or see if you can take a spare battery abroad. In the event of a power cut or voltage drop, you must have an emergency plan.
- Have a contingency plan including accommodation If you are given a non-adapted room, it is a good idea to have items with you such as a portable ramp, shower chair, and a cane with a hook to grab items that may be out of reach.
- Know your rights This is especially important for air travel, at the airport and on a plane. Find out about current airline laws and regulations. Inform the airlines about your situation and ask for help in advance.
- Understanding cultural differences. Remember that in other countries you may receive more or less attention than in your home country.
