Round Building of St Nicholas In Cieszyn

Roman Style- The Sacred Architecture

Round Building of St Nicholas In Cieszyn

An example of the Roman Style Architecture in the Eastern Europe.

In the second half of the XIII century, the Tower of the Last Defence was also included in fulfilling the protective function, and in the XIV century the erected Piast Tower. The Round Building was remaining a Royal Chapel for many centuries, and most probably in its neighbourhood there functioned the oldest parish cemetery in Cieszyn.

The Roman Style, the style in the fine arts developing within the XI- XII centuries in Europe (owing to the Crusades, it can be also fund in the Close East). It was the first common sort of art within the Middle Ages. Its destiny was merely connected with the Church, and its benefits were associated with the Monk orders, mainly the Benedictines and the Cysters.
An eminent representative of that style was a Spanish painter Gregorio Fernández.

It is worth concerning that The object was not only a typical protective building, but the very important factor was its function of a religious disposal, which meant that it was possible to hide inside during emergency. It was perfectly adapted for such a purpose, because of the walls’ thickness and a thin window transparency helping The successful defence.

The Round Building of Cieszyn is one of The oldest monuments of The Polish architecture. It was set on the current Polish banknote of The 20 PLN nominal. The sight of the Round Building is on the back side of the banknote and is situated as a background’s component. It is one of the most precious monuments connected with the beginnings of the XI century, and representing a wide synthesis of the art represented then.

1. Author: T. Mroczko, Title: “Polska sztuka przedromańska i romańska
(“ The Polish pre-Roman and Roman Art”)
2. Author: Zygmunt Swiechowski, Title: “Sztuka romańska w Polsce (“The Roamn Art in Poland”)
3. Author: W. Krassowski, Title: “The History of Building and Architecture on the Polish Lands”
4. Author: T. Broniewski, Title: “Historia architektury dla wszystkich” (“The History of Architecture for Everybody”)
5.Author:David Watkin, Title: “The History of the Western Architecture”)

http://www.rotunda.freehost.pl/
http://www.cieszyn.pl/?p=antiquesShow&iAntique=109
http://www.garnek.pl/ixodides/1495200/rotunda-cieszyn-xi-wiek

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File name: 97_pl- xi -Round Building.jpg

Description of the material:

The building within a central focus composed into the circle’s plan, consisting of one enclosed place, most of ten covered by a copula. It can constitute a closed building or a surrounded one. The photo attached presents the south- eastern profile of the building.

Contextualisation Of the source:

http://wataszka.republika.pl/P1000316.JPG http://www.zamekcieszyn.pl/pl/images/stories/turystyka/koronki_walgi.jpg http://www.rotunda.freehost.pl/foto/rotunda_wyszechrad.jpg

File name: 97_rotunda_wyszechrad.jpg

Description of the material:

The building within a central focus composed into the circle’s plan, consisting of one enclosed place, most of ten covered by a copula. It can constitute a closed building or a surrounded one. The photo attached presents the south- eastern profile of the building.

Contextualisation Of the source:

http://wataszka.republika.pl/P1000316.JPG http://www.zamekcieszyn.pl/pl/images/stories/turystyka/koronki_walgi.jpg http://www.rotunda.freehost.pl/foto/rotunda_wyszechrad.jpg