Guardian's Angel's Chapel

The Guardian's Angel's Chapel was built in the 17th century. The chapel is located an Sitkowski street and belongs to the terriority of the Primary School number 3 under the patronate of Zofia Sękowska. The Guardian's Angel's Chapel is supposted to be the second oldest monument in Radzyń Podlaski.^[1] according to Zbigniew Smółka's article: "Even thought it's quite difficult to acces and practically unusued, it is one of the most interesting objects in the entire Southern Podlasie region"^[2]

History

The Guardians' Angels' Chapel was built in years 1614 - 1641 on the site of a wooden church of the Holy Trinnyty founded by brothers Mikołaj and Wojciech Cebulka. In 1456 the mentioned church was handed to the other belivers and surrounded over. It was donated by Jan Kazanowski - a protestant who was an enemy of the Roman Catholic Church. He was burried there in 1591 with was percived as a desecration of the place. At the begining of 17th century after the church was taken over by thr mayor of Łóków, Zofia neé Działyńska Mniszchów, but in 1603 it was still closed.^[1] This situation was evidenced by Bishop Samuel Maciejewski who wisited the parish and wrote about the oryginal Church of the Holy Trinity: "Once a parish church, but for years desecrated by Mr [Jan] Kazanowski, who was burried there"^[3].The church lost the status of city's main temple so the local authorities delmoished it an built the Guardian's Angel's Chapel.

In the 40's and 50's of yhe 20th century the chapel's destination was wstabilished by the hospital located on Sitkowskiego street to store human corpsand its pevious beauty turned into ruin. The final renovation took place in years 2009 - 2011.^[1] The cost of renovation of the chapel: replacing the woodwork, plastering, replacing the roof and painting is estiminated at 46.000 zloty.^[4]

The art conversators discovered some interesting writings dated as old as the 17th century, with proved that the chapel was at least 100 years older than it belived so far. The inscriptions are quite legible because they were made with lime paints or carved with a sharp tool.[..] We read, among others two names - "Albertus Dzieżyc" and "Jaz Szczurowsky". One of them is dated 1698.^[5] The similarity of the decorations on the Mniszche's tombstone in the Holy Trinity Church in Radzyń Podlaski leads to belif that the architect of those buildings was the same pearson.^[1]

Apperance

The chapel faces west. It was built on a hexagonal plan made of bricks. It is composed of two floors. The side elevations have a frame division and they are trapped with entablatures. The ovnarentic wooden door is half cilcular at the top and furnished with two concrete steps. Thre is a rectangular and square panel above the construction. In the latter there is an old niche with a window. On the remaining walls there is a conch shell niching the bottom. In four cases there are niches wit symetrical windows above, exept the eastern wall - there is a panel without a hole.

The chapel is covered with a pyramidal roof made of sheet metal. It's crowned with a baroque latern with voluties - a decorative motif in a form of a spiral or scroll. It is pierced on four sides with rectangular holes closed semiculary. On the top of a hipped roof there is a blacksmith cross.^[1]

The vault of the chapel has the shape of a decorated dome in the Lublin type. We will see a skeleton made of decorative ornaments. They consist of lighter astragal motifs (a string of pearls separated by vertical discs) and darker kimation motifs (a series of stylized plant motifs). Between them we will see twelve winged angel heads. At the highest point of the vault, called the keystone, there is a round rosette.^[5]

The intenior of chapel is single - spaced. At the eastern wall thete is a brick mensa consitutng the altar top. Above that there is a wooden cross.^[1]

Days with Angels

Every year at the turn of September and October the Guardians' Angels' Chapel is the place of a local celebration called "Days with Angels" organizated by Zofia Sękowska's Primary School.^[1] They include a number of meetings and events. These include lectures, artistic workshops, games and competitions. At the chapel of St. Holy Mass is celebrated at the Guardian Angels Church located on the premises of the Center. for the patients and employees of the Center. This is accompanied by a lecture on the history and monuments of Radzyń Podlaski.^[6]