Description of the attraction
The Church of the Clarice is officially called the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Previously, the Holy Spirit, Saint Wojciech, Saint Clara and Saint Barbara were considered his heavenly patrons. The temple is located on Gdansk Street.
The place where the modern church was built was not empty. In 1448, the inhabitants of Bydgoszcz raised funds for the construction of the Church of the Holy Spirit, which was considered a hospital. The church was built from oak wood, but already in 1582 it was made of stone. The construction of the new church continued until 1618. The decoration sponsorship was already completed by the Clariski sisters, whose monastery had appeared in Bydgoszcz three years earlier. The Temple of the Holy Spirit was donated to them by the city. Interestingly, the construction of the church did not suit the nuns, so they invited an architect to redesign the church. One more room was added to the old one-nave building, they were combined into one complex and the place of the main entrance was changed. In 1646, a chapel was added to the church, which can be seen today, and the crypt where the Clarice women were buried. In the 40s of the 17th century, a tower was added to the church, equipped with loopholes through which it was possible to shoot at the enemy if necessary.
In 1835, Bydgoszcz came under the rule of Prussia. The Clarisks left the city, all of their property became the property of the city authorities. The head of the city decided to close the church of the Clarice women, and divide its furniture and church items between other local churches. Why did the building of the former church not serve: there was a store, then a warehouse, then a fire post. The new owners were remodeling the premises to fit their needs.
Only in 1920 the church was handed over to believers again.
Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque features can be seen in the decoration of the facade of the temple. The oldest masonry is preserved behind the altar: it is dated 1582. The nave ceiling is decorated with 112 wood paneling depicting biblical symbols. The main altar was created in 1636 and is decorated with the image of the Assumption of Our Lady. The wooden rococo lectern was made in the 18th century.
