Instytut Historii Sztuki <Posen> [Hrsg.]: Artium Quaestiones (6.1993)

ROMAN ARTISTIC IMPORT TO WROCŁAW

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crystalized between 1671 - 1676 when the cardinal was appointed a bishop of Wrocław
which took place in 1671.10
Since his convertion to Catholicism Frideric especially worshiped St. Elisabeth from
Thuringia. Alike all the members of the landgrave of Hessen family he reckoned himself
as her descendant. Particular admiration of this saint was often stressed by the cardinal.
He also intended to bring her body from Marburg and bury her in the Wrocław chaple
to have her near as a companion of the eternal rest.
2. While staying in Rome the cardinal began the preliminary works connencted
with building of the chaple.11 He commissioned the architectural design and chose the
artist to whom the sculptural decoration was commissioned. He asked the service of
Christopher Lucatelli whom he gave big sums of money in March and April 1676.12
In the same time one of the Wroclaw’s canonics — scholasticus — Jacob Brunetti
informed the chapter in Wrocław about the cardinal's project.
While reasonably high ammounts of money began to be sent to agent in Rome the
realization of the project was probably under way. On May 10, 1679 the cardinal, by
good offices of Lucatelli signed a contract with Ercole Ferrata for carving a statue of
St. Elisabeth.13 We can assume that the final version of the architectural design must
have been ready by the end of 1679, presumably till April 1680, because the construc-
tion works began in the following season, and obviously some time must have been
given to make construction plans and for establishing the measurements before com-
missioning the works to Roman sculptors.14
The construction began in March 1680 and was completed in November in the same
year. Stuccoes and Marble lining of the walls were also completed.15 The progress of
the construction was very fast since the founder could not wait to see the finish of his
project. However, he did not live to see the completion of the decoration òf the chapel.
He died on February 19, 1682 and was buried, according to his will, in the newly
built chapel-mausoleum.16

1,1 K. Kalinowski, Kaplica.... p. 275-276 also J. Jungnitz, Die Reliquien der Si. Elisaheîhkapelle an
der Breslauer Kathedrale, „Schlesisches Pastoralblatt” 1909, Jg. 30.
11 The design of the chapel was made 1676 - 1679 by an unknown Roman architect coming from Valera
(or Valle, or Alle di Ostia). In the manuscript „Authentico relatio" (The Archives of the archidiocese in
Wrocław sign. 111 B4a ) he is called „berühmter Architecte) al Eresco" (famous architect of Eresco) which is
a distorted adjectival form of the place the architect came from, Val Eresco-Valeresco. Since the author of
the leaflet Würdiges Andencken and the text Authentico relatio also misspells the name of Bernini changing
it into Berenni and the name Ferrata appears there as Hercule Ferrati while the spelling of name of Giacomo
Scianzi who supervised the construction was correct, wa can deduce that the designer was not present in
Wrocław.
The design was made under a dominating influence of works of G. L. Bernini in Rome and was realized
in Wrocław by two masters from Como Giacomo Scianzi and Carlo Rossi.
12 W. Dersch, op. cit., p. 301.
12 Archives of archidiocese in Wrocław, sign. IllB4b a bill of a Wrocław marchant Christoper Roiss
stating the sum 11458 Rth. for the years 1678 - 1680 B. Patzak, Die Elisabethkapelle des Breslauer Domes,
Breslau 1922, p. 1 1.
14 K. Kalinowski, Kaplica..., p. 276.
,s Ibidem.
16 Ibidem, p. 277.