Description of the attraction
Within the Old Town in Rzeszow, you can see a large temple, which now has the status of a basilica. This is the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, which is also popularly called the Bernardine Church. This name can be explained very simply: the temple belonged to the Bernardine order and was located next to the monastery of these holy fathers.
The history of the appearance of the church, which eventually turned into a basilica, is amazing. The events that triggered its construction took place in 1513. One of the local peasants by the name of Yakub Adoz saw in the drawing of a pear tree trunk the image of the Mother of God with the Child. To prevent this image from disappearing, it was decided to erect a small wooden church over it. It was opened in 1536. This church was used by local residents until 1610, when
The new owner of the estate Rzeszow castellan Nikolai Spitek Ligeza decided to build a new, more spacious and presentable church. Moreover, it was supposed to perform several functions: serve as a place for the family burials of the Ligez lords and be a defensive structure. All the prerequisites for turning the Church of the Virgin Mary into a well-fortified structure were: it was on a hill surrounded by swamps. Therefore, the church became part of the city's defensive system, along with the Small Synagogue or the local castle.
In 1629, the church was transferred to the Bernardine monastery.
In the interior of the church, you can see the original alabaster altar, which depicts the patroness of the church, and the Gothic statue of the Mother of God and the Child, which was made by the masters of the school of Vita Stvos.
