Chapel of Saint Casimir
General information | |
---|---|
Architectural style | Baroque architecture |
Location | Vilnius Cathedral |
Town or city | Vilnius |
Country | Lithuania |
Coordinates | 54°40′39.54252″N 25°17′17.41344″E / 54.6776507000°N 25.2881704000°E |
Named for | Saint Casimir |
Construction started | 1624 |
Inaugurated | 14 August 1634 |
Dimensions | |
Other dimensions | 17.5 by 17.5 metres (57 ft × 57 ft)[1] |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Costante Tencalla |
The Chapel of Saint Casimir is a chapel dedicated to
History
Prince Casimir was the second oldest son of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania
Three-Handed St. Casimir
Three-Handed St. Casimir is an anonymous painting of Saint Casmir which hangs under his silver sarcophagus in the chapel. It features Casimir with three hands (he has two right hands that each hold a lily) and is considered miraculous. The legend has it that the painter wanted to alter the composition and painted the second right hand, but he could not cover the first right hand – it kept reappearing. The legend was first recorded by Bernhard Leopold Tanner in 1689.
It is painted on a thin 45 by 75 centimetres (18 in × 30 in) wooden plank.[6] The overall composition is very similar to the woodcut published by papal legate Zacharias Ferreri in Casimir's first hagiography in 1521. The main differences are the third hand and that the woodcut is set outdoors, while the painting is set indoors.[6] It is believed that the woodcut and the painting were completed around the same time based on a lost original. Possibly this lost original was a portrait completed while Casimir was still alive but lost during a fire in Vilnius Cathedral in 1530.[7] The painting was touched up in 1594 as evidenced by an inscription in a Renaissance cartouche at the bottom which cites a line from Psalm 92: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.[6][8] Likely at this time, the original pendant which is worn by Casimir and which depicted Madonna with child was replaced by the Order of the Golden Fleece. Saint Casimir did not receive the order and it was likely added to appease King Sigismund III Vasa.[9] The order is also present in the cartouche outside the chapel which records information about its completion in 1636.[10]
Murals
The chapel has two expressive murals by Florentine artist Michelangelo Palloni completed during the restoration work in 1692.[2]
The Opening of the Coffin of St. Casimir measures 285 by 402 centimetres (112 in × 158 in) and decorates the east wall. It depicts the opening of St. Casimir's coffin on August 16, 1604 during his canonization proceedings. The body in the coffin was found intact, 120 years after the burial. The saint is wearing a long red robe, decorated with
The Resurrection of Ursula measures 295 by 402 centimetres (116 in × 158 in) and decorates the west wall. It depicts the first known miracle of St. Casimir. After the death of a young girl Ursula, her father went to the coffin of the prince to pray for her and the girl miraculously resurrected. The artist skillfully depicts surprise and astonishment of the father, other relatives, and clergy.[2]
Sculptures of rulers
The chapel has eight sculptures of rulers that stand in marble niches in the four corners. At about 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) in height, the sculptures are taller than life size.[11] They are carved from wood and plated in silver.[12] They were carved with particular attention to individualized details: attributes of power, clothes, facial details, hand gestures, and poses (they are turned a bit to the left or the right so they face the main altar better).[13] The author, date of creation, and identity of the figures are unknown and are subject to speculation by art historians.
The chapel originally had eight pure silver sculptures that measured about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in height and that were melted during the
Not all researchers agree with the traditional identification. Already in 1840
Gallery
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Chapel from the outside
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Gates to the chapel from inside the cathedral in 1912 by Józef Bałzukiewicz
References
- ^ a b c d e Rėklaitis 1958a.
- ^ a b c d e "Mural paintings at the Chapel of Saint Casimir of Vilnius Cathedral, Michelangelo Palloni". Europeana 280. europeana.eu. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ Maslauskaitė 2004, p. 115.
- ^ Maslauskaitė 2004, pp. 115–116.
- ^ a b Rėklaitis 1958b.
- ^ a b c Rėklaitis 1984.
- ^ Maslauskaitė 2004, pp. 114–115.
- ^ Blažiūnas 2012, p. 218.
- ^ Blažiūnas 2012, p. 219.
- ^ Maslauskaitė 2004, p. 116.
- ^ Bielinis 1988, p. 167.
- ^ a b c d Paknys 2012, p. 154.
- ^ Paknys 2012, pp. 153–154.
- ^ Paknys 2012, p. 156.
- ^ a b c Paknys 2012, p. 159.
- ^ Paknys 2012, p. 160.
- ^ Paknys 2012, p. 163.
- ^ a b Paknys 2012, p. 167.
- ^ Širmulis 2006, p. 190.
- ^ Paknys 2012, p. 170.
- ^ Paknys 2012, pp. 172–173.
Bibliography
- Blažiūnas, Juozapas (2012). "Vilniaus miesto bažnyčių ir vienuolynų paveikslų tvarkyba nuo XVI a. antros pusės iki XVIII a. pabaigos" (PDF). Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis (in Lithuanian). 64. ISSN 1392-0316.
- Bielinis, Jonas; et al., eds. (1988). Lietuvos TSR istorijos ir kultūros paminklų sąvadas (in Lithuanian). Vol. 1. Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. OCLC 21449203.
- Maslauskaitė, Sigita (2004). "Šv. Kazimiero atvaizdas: pirmavaizdis ir kartotės" (PDF). Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis (in Lithuanian). 35. ISSN 1392-0316.
- Paknys, Mindaugas (2012). "Šv. Kazimiero koplyčios karalių skulptūros. Ką apie jas žinome?". Lietuvos kultūros karališkasis dėmuo: įvaizdžiai, simboliai, reliktai. Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis (in Lithuanian). Vol. 65–66. Vilniaus dailės akademijos leidykla. ISBN 978-609-447-068-4.
- Rėklaitis, Povilas (March 1958a). "Šv. Kazimiero koplyčia Vilniuje (I)". Aidai (in Lithuanian). 3 (108). ISSN 0002-208X.
- Rėklaitis, Povilas (April 1958b). "Šv. Kazimiero koplyčia Vilniuje (II)". Aidai (in Lithuanian). 4 (109). ISSN 0002-208X.
- Rėklaitis, Povilas (May–June 1984). "Prie šv. Kazimiero ikonografijos". Aidai (in Lithuanian). 3 (346). ISSN 0002-208X.
- Širmulis, Alfredas (2006). "Vilniaus arkikatedros Šv. Kazimiero koplyčios valdovų statulų identifikavimas". Šventųjų relikvijos Lietuvos kultūroje. Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis (in Lithuanian). Vol. 41. Vilniaus dailės akademijos leidykla. ISBN 995-562-461-2.