The original monastery and a small church built in 1635 were made of wood. However, during the Russian-Polish war they were destroyed. After the end of the war, a decision was made to restore the monastery complex. So in 1660, thanks to donations Mikhail Pats и Gideon Khlyadovitsky, work begins on a new stone church. The construction will take many years. Church of the Virgin Mary of Angels and the Franciscan Monastery in Grodno were finally completed only in the first half of the 17th century.
A century later, the sad story repeats itself: Franciscan monastery и Church of Our Lady of Angels again destroyed by fire. Constance Lozova, the housekeeper Mstislavl, helps to restore the burnt complex.
With the arrival of the Russian authorities in Grodno in 1853, the church was closed. From 1863 to 1919, a prison for objectionable monks and priests began to operate within the walls of the monastery.
Church architecture
The church is a three-aisled baroque basilica. The altar part is made in the form of a semicircular apse. The central facade of the temple is divided into three tiers. The lower tier is decorated with an arched entrance and unusual pilasters. The interior of the temple is also amazing and surprises with its beauty. The altar is divided into two tiers and richly decorated with wooden statues of saints and biblical scenes.
A separate entrance leads to a three-tiered bell tower. Special attention should be paid to the unusual figured dome of the belfry. On the territory of the complex there are also residential buildings, where the library and the refectory are located.
During the Soviet Union, the monastery remained active. This is an amazing fact, given the widespread policy of closing churches and churches for territory of Belarus.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Franciscans returned to the monastery again and took an important part in the restoration of the complex. For pilgrims from all over Belarus, the church is important - within its walls there is miraculous icon of the Holy Virgin Mary of Angels.
Church of Our Lady of Angels and Franciscan Monastery one of the most interesting sightseeing Grodnowhich you should definitely visit. The temple is on the street Ogorodnaya 2.
What else is worth seeing in the city? Must visit Boris and Gleb Churchand old lock, the reconstruction of which is almost completed.
