Summer Refectory

A refectory was the monks’ communal dining hall, and the Summer Refectory at Lubiąż received elaborate Baroque decoration. The room covers more than 270 square metres beneath a shallow, basin-shaped vault. Felix Anton Scheffler painted its decoration in 1733. At its centre he depicted the biblical miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, linking the subject to a room where meals were eaten.

Below, oval medallions show scenes from the lives of Saints Benedict and Bernard. Pastel colours, stuccowork and a marble floor create a rich setting for the former monastic dining hall. A black marble portal frames the entrance, contrasting with the room’s light-coloured decoration. The refectory is regularly open to visitors alongside the Abbot’s Dining Room, the Ducal Hall and the Church of the Virgin Mary. Above it lies the monastery library, opened for special programmes: visiting the dining hall does not include access to the library. The two rooms occupy the same part of the building but served different purposes.