MORANDO, Bernardo

Unlike the other central European countries, in Poland Renaissance architecture continued to flourish throughout the remainder of the 16th century. In 1578 Jan Zamoyski, chancellor of Poland, commissioned the Venetian architect Bernardo Morando to design the fortified town of Zamosc following the latest Italian ideas. The resultant town with street arcades resembles those of northern Italy.

Zamosc has a distinct chessboard layout of streets, with a main square in its centre and two small markets situated on each side. An anthropomorphic plan was also used in the city’s design, with Zamoyski’s home being the head, or brain, the church being the lungs, the town hall the heart, and the main street the spine.

View the plan of the town.

Unlike the other central European countries, in Poland Renaissance architecture continued to flourish throughout the remainder of the 16th century. In 1578 Jan Zamoyski, chancellor of Poland, commissioned the Venetian architect Bernardo Morando to design the fortified town of Zamosc following the latest Italian ideas. The resultant town with street arcades resembles those of northern Italy.

Zamosc has a distinct chessboard layout of streets, with a main square in its centre and two small markets situated on each side. An anthropomorphic plan was also used in the city’s design, with Zamoyski’s home being the head, or brain, the church being the lungs, the town hall the heart, and the main street the spine.

View the plan of the town.

The magnificent cathedral (formerly a collegiate church) close to the Great Market Square was a votive offering from Jan Zamoyski for his many victories. It also served as a Zamoyski family mausoleum. The collegiate church was built between 1587 and 1598, but work on its decoration was completed as late as 1630. It was rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century in the classicistic style.

The collegiate church of the Resurrection of Our Lord and of St Thomas the Apostle was built in the south-western part of Zamosc. It was constructed using brick, limestone and sandstone blocks, its walls covered with plaster. The cathedral takes the form of a three-nave basilica, oriented towards the east, with a row of lower chapels on each side; the main entrance is situated in the west, with side entrances from the south and the north.

While the church may appear rather massive from the outside, its interior is quite remarkable for its slender proportions. The church consists of a five-bay main body designed on a square floor plan and the chancel section separated from the nave by the rood arch. The western bay of the main nave features the organ gallery, its front section resting upon three semi-circular arches. The main nave is separated from the side aisles by slender pillars supporting the arcades above. The chancel features a barrel vault with an end section taking the form of an apse. The nave and the side aisles also use barrel vaults with tangential lunettes, while the side chapels feature groin vaults.

The photo shows the nave.

View the ground plan of the cathedral.

Unlike the other central European countries, in Poland Renaissance architecture continued to flourish throughout the remainder of the 16th century. In 1578 Jan Zamoyski, chancellor of Poland, commissioned the Venetian architect Bernardo Morando to design the fortified town of Zamosc following the latest Italian ideas. The resultant town with street arcades resembles those of northern Italy.

Zamosc has a distinct chessboard layout of streets, with a main square in its centre and two small markets situated on each side. An anthropomorphic plan was also used in the city’s design, with Zamoyski’s home being the head, or brain, the church being the lungs, the town hall the heart, and the main street the spine.

The photo shows the main square (Great Market Square) of Zamosc.

The magnificent cathedral (formerly a collegiate church) close to the Great Market Square was a votive offering from Jan Zamoyski for his many victories. It also served as a Zamoyski family mausoleum. The collegiate church was built between 1587 and 1598, but work on its decoration was completed as late as 1630. It was rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century in the classicistic style.

The collegiate church of the Resurrection of Our Lord and of St Thomas the Apostle was built in the south-western part of Zamosc. It was constructed using brick, limestone and sandstone blocks, its walls covered with plaster. The cathedral takes the form of a three-nave basilica, oriented towards the east, with a row of lower chapels on each side; the main entrance is situated in the west, with side entrances from the south and the north.

While the church may appear rather massive from the outside, its interior is quite remarkable for its slender proportions. The church consists of a five-bay main body designed on a square floor plan and the chancel section separated from the nave by the rood arch. The western bay of the main nave features the organ gallery, its front section resting upon three semi-circular arches. The main nave is separated from the side aisles by slender pillars supporting the arcades above. The chancel features a barrel vault with an end section taking the form of an apse. The nave and the side aisles also use barrel vaults with tangential lunettes, while the side chapels feature groin vaults.

The photo shows the nave.

View the ground plan of the cathedral.