Látnivaló
Galleries and guild galleries
Tiered galleries decorated with biblical scenes and the emblems of their donors.
A tartalom nyelve
The galleries run around the church interior. The two main tiers were built with the church in 1656-1657. This arrangement provided seating above ground level, making use of the height of the timber building.
Narrower guild galleries were gradually inserted between the main levels. Carpenters, glaziers, furriers and weavers were among the craftspeople with their own places. Guilds brought together workers in a particular trade, and their presence left recognisable emblems and decorations in the church.
The balustrades bear biblical scenes, inscriptions and coats of arms. Their decoration also includes epitaphs, commemorating the dead. The surfaces surrounding the seats thus conveyed religious ideas and preserved the memory of people and families connected with the parish.
An intermediate gallery known as the school choir gallery was added in 1708. Further private pews and galleries supplemented the earlier structure rather than following a single decorative design from the outset. The interior preserves traces of these changing needs and successive donations.
Gyerekeknek
The galleries are like balconies inside the church. They allowed people to sit upstairs as well as on the ground floor. The two main levels were built with the church. More galleries were fitted between them later.
Groups of craftspeople, such as carpenters and weavers, had their own places. The balustrades show Bible pictures, writing and coats of arms. There are memorials to parishioners who had died. The school choir gallery was added in 1708. These decorations tell us about faith and about the people and trades of old Świdnica.
Kérdés: 1/2
What are the church galleries?
- Elhelyezkedés
- Galleries surrounding the interior; decoration viewed from the ground floor.