DOI Artikel:
Omilanowska-Kiljańczyk, Małgorzata: Restauracja katedry płockiej w latach 1901-1903
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13596#0448
444
MAŁGORZATA OMILANOWSKA
RESTORATION OF THE CATHEDRAL IN PŁOCK, 1901-1903
Summary
The research on the cathedral in Płock has been carried out sińce the end of 19. century and the inferences made at its early
stage had been prévalent till the 1980s. For almost a hundred years the présent temple was thought to have been preserved as
Romanesque one till the beginning of 20. century and only rebuilt in 16. century when aisle pillars were changed, a new vault was
built and a new dome covered the middle of the church. The frontal spires were considered gothic. Only in the late 1970s the
research carried out by Robert Kunkel proved that in 1532 the Romanesque cathedral was demolished (only the foundations
remained) and in its place a new Renaissance church was erected. This discovery essentially changes not only the inferences
referring to the second, Romanesque and the third, Renaissance cathedrals but also it throws a new light on the restoration of the
cathedral made by Stefan Szyller in 1901-1903.
Robert Kunkel's research proved that the présent cathedral was built in the years 1532—1535 by Bernardino de Gianotis, Jan
Cini from Sienna and Filip from Fiesole. The new tempie was erected in the place of the Romanesque cathedral (dated 1124—1127)
and demolished after the fire in 1530. In 1556— 1563 the cathedral was extended by Jan Baptysta from Venice. The presbytery was
lengthened and a new western façade with two spires was built. About the year 1665, the dome was reshaped the cupolas on the
spires were exchanged for new ones. In 1770s a classicistic portico was added in the front and the body of the church was probably
plastered. In the mid nineteen fifties the restoration supervised by Henryk Marconi was made.
In 1900 the chapter decided to carry out a complète restoration of the cathedral whose aim was to retrieve the church its
Renaissance character. Consultative bodies, whose members were — among others — Sławomir Odrzywolski and Pius Weloński,
assigned Stefan Szyller to the task. The classicistic facade was to be removed as well as the plaster from the spires, a new choir was
to be built, the dome altered so as to match the style of the cathedral, the altars replaced by new ones and the walls frescoed.
However, soon after the work had begun, in the summer of 1901 it turned out that the condition of the cathedral was much
worse that rough inspection results revealed. Thus the previous plans had to be expanded. As a result, the restoration included:
removal of the classicistic façade and of the spires to the second storey and reconstruction of the façade and of the spires in
Renaissance style; demolishing and reconstruction of ail vaults; erecting a new choir in the place of the old wooden one; removal
and reconstruction of the dome so that it returned to its primary shape; demolishing all the 19. century annexes adhering to the
sacristy, the chapter house and the transept and building there three porches; reconstruction of the eastern gable over the
presbytery; removal of the plaster partially covering the church from outside and lowering the level of the ground around the
cathedral; replacing of all the wooden equipment with the new one designed by Szyller; covering the interior of the church with
polychromy designed by Władysław Drapiewski. A substantial collection of Szyller's drawings and sketches showing successive
phases of designing and reconstructing the facade was preserved in Muzeum Diecezjalne in Płock. The restoration began in July
1901. The newly restorated church was consecrated by Bishop Szembek on 8th of November, 1903.
The church in Płock was the last restorated great Polish cathedral in 19. century. The thorough reconstruction connected with
substantial changes in the church provoked fierce discussions among Cracow and Warsaw architects. Due to these polemics, the
rénovation of the cathedral was considered erroneous, although previously it had enjoyed a good fame. The thesis that Szyller
destroyed the cathedral nearly became the current among historians. Beyond a doubt, the restoration caused essential changes in
the monumental substance of the cathedral. From Szyller's notes as well as from chapter meetings we know that the walls of the
cathedral were in a very bad repair. It was partially caused by the fact that the cathedral is situated on a slope bank of the Vistula
River which continually slips down to the river and also by incompétent restoration of cracked walls of the cathedral. The horrible
repair of the western part of the building was the result of erroneous construction of the spires made by Jan Baptysta and of
incompétent rebuilding of the façade at the end of 18. century. Thus, there is no reason to have doubts whether the re-erection of
such large parts of the cathedral was correct.
Only the changes that Szyller made in the appearance of the cathedral are debatable. The rebuilding of the façade and of the
front spires is the most important and noticeable change. The classicistical élévation ascribed to Martini was definitely lost.
Nowadays, it would probably be preserved but the décision of deconstructing it was made in the times when Classicism was not
that remote style and only its most outstanding works were considered worth being called monuments. A new façade had to be
designed by the main architect in charge with the rénovation as the obvious conséquence of deconstruction of the former façade.
Szyller covered the spires with new cupolas, removed plaster and reshaped the upper parts of corner buttresses in order to lessen
tensions caused by erroneous construction. Lowering the level of the ground around the church to the former level of foundations
and removal of the plaster were other changes in the appearance of the cathedral.
All the changes mentioned above were consulted with other architects. Only two alternations were made by Szyller without
any consultation. Both were imposed on him by the chapter which took into considération not only the artistic aspect of the
rénovation but also the practical one. These changes were: érection of the choir perfectly matching the interior of the church, and
heightening the tambour of the dome at the aisle crossing. The latter was far more debatable. That practically was the only change
in the appearance of the cathedral made for the sake of style unity. The replacement of the classicistic façade with neo-Renaissance
one was rather an attempt to replace an unusually unsuccessful and hardly monumental work with a better one. The last remark
refers also to several porches from the latter half of 19. century, which were also replaced with new ones.
Apart from the fierce polemics, another question also contributed to the wrong judgement on the rénovation. The présent
appearance of the tempie, especially the interior, did not match the hypothesis about the time of construction. Thus Szyller was
blamed for too radical alternations which blurred the original character of the cathedral. Only Robert Kunkel's research showed
that the cathedral is a Renaissance church and the mixture of styles was the result of the extension which took place only some
décades later, not at the beginning of 20. century.
The final évaluation of the rénovation of the cathedral carried out by Stefan Szyller in 1901 — 1903 cannot be absolutely
univocal. Szyller introduced many changes which, however, may seem unmotivated. Still, the restoration did not deserve such
unjust judgement as it has received so far. Although the scope of the works during the rénovation was considérable, the style of the
cathedral was preserved and no crucial éléments determining this character were destroyed.
MAŁGORZATA OMILANOWSKA
RESTORATION OF THE CATHEDRAL IN PŁOCK, 1901-1903
Summary
The research on the cathedral in Płock has been carried out sińce the end of 19. century and the inferences made at its early
stage had been prévalent till the 1980s. For almost a hundred years the présent temple was thought to have been preserved as
Romanesque one till the beginning of 20. century and only rebuilt in 16. century when aisle pillars were changed, a new vault was
built and a new dome covered the middle of the church. The frontal spires were considered gothic. Only in the late 1970s the
research carried out by Robert Kunkel proved that in 1532 the Romanesque cathedral was demolished (only the foundations
remained) and in its place a new Renaissance church was erected. This discovery essentially changes not only the inferences
referring to the second, Romanesque and the third, Renaissance cathedrals but also it throws a new light on the restoration of the
cathedral made by Stefan Szyller in 1901-1903.
Robert Kunkel's research proved that the présent cathedral was built in the years 1532—1535 by Bernardino de Gianotis, Jan
Cini from Sienna and Filip from Fiesole. The new tempie was erected in the place of the Romanesque cathedral (dated 1124—1127)
and demolished after the fire in 1530. In 1556— 1563 the cathedral was extended by Jan Baptysta from Venice. The presbytery was
lengthened and a new western façade with two spires was built. About the year 1665, the dome was reshaped the cupolas on the
spires were exchanged for new ones. In 1770s a classicistic portico was added in the front and the body of the church was probably
plastered. In the mid nineteen fifties the restoration supervised by Henryk Marconi was made.
In 1900 the chapter decided to carry out a complète restoration of the cathedral whose aim was to retrieve the church its
Renaissance character. Consultative bodies, whose members were — among others — Sławomir Odrzywolski and Pius Weloński,
assigned Stefan Szyller to the task. The classicistic facade was to be removed as well as the plaster from the spires, a new choir was
to be built, the dome altered so as to match the style of the cathedral, the altars replaced by new ones and the walls frescoed.
However, soon after the work had begun, in the summer of 1901 it turned out that the condition of the cathedral was much
worse that rough inspection results revealed. Thus the previous plans had to be expanded. As a result, the restoration included:
removal of the classicistic façade and of the spires to the second storey and reconstruction of the façade and of the spires in
Renaissance style; demolishing and reconstruction of ail vaults; erecting a new choir in the place of the old wooden one; removal
and reconstruction of the dome so that it returned to its primary shape; demolishing all the 19. century annexes adhering to the
sacristy, the chapter house and the transept and building there three porches; reconstruction of the eastern gable over the
presbytery; removal of the plaster partially covering the church from outside and lowering the level of the ground around the
cathedral; replacing of all the wooden equipment with the new one designed by Szyller; covering the interior of the church with
polychromy designed by Władysław Drapiewski. A substantial collection of Szyller's drawings and sketches showing successive
phases of designing and reconstructing the facade was preserved in Muzeum Diecezjalne in Płock. The restoration began in July
1901. The newly restorated church was consecrated by Bishop Szembek on 8th of November, 1903.
The church in Płock was the last restorated great Polish cathedral in 19. century. The thorough reconstruction connected with
substantial changes in the church provoked fierce discussions among Cracow and Warsaw architects. Due to these polemics, the
rénovation of the cathedral was considered erroneous, although previously it had enjoyed a good fame. The thesis that Szyller
destroyed the cathedral nearly became the current among historians. Beyond a doubt, the restoration caused essential changes in
the monumental substance of the cathedral. From Szyller's notes as well as from chapter meetings we know that the walls of the
cathedral were in a very bad repair. It was partially caused by the fact that the cathedral is situated on a slope bank of the Vistula
River which continually slips down to the river and also by incompétent restoration of cracked walls of the cathedral. The horrible
repair of the western part of the building was the result of erroneous construction of the spires made by Jan Baptysta and of
incompétent rebuilding of the façade at the end of 18. century. Thus, there is no reason to have doubts whether the re-erection of
such large parts of the cathedral was correct.
Only the changes that Szyller made in the appearance of the cathedral are debatable. The rebuilding of the façade and of the
front spires is the most important and noticeable change. The classicistical élévation ascribed to Martini was definitely lost.
Nowadays, it would probably be preserved but the décision of deconstructing it was made in the times when Classicism was not
that remote style and only its most outstanding works were considered worth being called monuments. A new façade had to be
designed by the main architect in charge with the rénovation as the obvious conséquence of deconstruction of the former façade.
Szyller covered the spires with new cupolas, removed plaster and reshaped the upper parts of corner buttresses in order to lessen
tensions caused by erroneous construction. Lowering the level of the ground around the church to the former level of foundations
and removal of the plaster were other changes in the appearance of the cathedral.
All the changes mentioned above were consulted with other architects. Only two alternations were made by Szyller without
any consultation. Both were imposed on him by the chapter which took into considération not only the artistic aspect of the
rénovation but also the practical one. These changes were: érection of the choir perfectly matching the interior of the church, and
heightening the tambour of the dome at the aisle crossing. The latter was far more debatable. That practically was the only change
in the appearance of the cathedral made for the sake of style unity. The replacement of the classicistic façade with neo-Renaissance
one was rather an attempt to replace an unusually unsuccessful and hardly monumental work with a better one. The last remark
refers also to several porches from the latter half of 19. century, which were also replaced with new ones.
Apart from the fierce polemics, another question also contributed to the wrong judgement on the rénovation. The présent
appearance of the tempie, especially the interior, did not match the hypothesis about the time of construction. Thus Szyller was
blamed for too radical alternations which blurred the original character of the cathedral. Only Robert Kunkel's research showed
that the cathedral is a Renaissance church and the mixture of styles was the result of the extension which took place only some
décades later, not at the beginning of 20. century.
The final évaluation of the rénovation of the cathedral carried out by Stefan Szyller in 1901 — 1903 cannot be absolutely
univocal. Szyller introduced many changes which, however, may seem unmotivated. Still, the restoration did not deserve such
unjust judgement as it has received so far. Although the scope of the works during the rénovation was considérable, the style of the
cathedral was preserved and no crucial éléments determining this character were destroyed.