Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Płock, the Piast stronghold on the Tumskie Hill, was founded in the late 10th century; in 1075, the Płock diocese was established, with the range covering Mazovia, north-eastern borderof the Polish state. within the stronghold, at the place of the former temple from the mid-11th century , the first stone cathedral was built. Władysław Herman with his wife, parents of Boleslaus the Wry-Mouthed, were buried there. in 1127, it was destroyed during the invasion of Pomeranians, and the remains of the Dukes were profaned. A new, monumental cathedral built at the same place by bishop Alexander of Malonne was consecrated in 1144.The Romanesque, three-aisle basilica with apses that closed the presbytery and transept arms, constructed from carefully machined granite ashlars, was the greatest sacred building in the then Poland. Its architecture was of a very rare type in Poland , and the analogies for which should be sought in the art from the area on the Mouse River. Probably there were towers in the western facade and at the crossing of the aisle with the transept.
Magnificent red bronze doors date back to that period; they were ordered by the bishop in Magdeburg a few years later. 26 bronze cast door panels present plastically scenes from the life of Jesus and the apostles. one of them shows bishop Aleksander and Magdeburg bishop, Piotr Wichmann, the creators placed also their images. The whole is combined by borders with floral motives. A few churches in Europe could afford this type of expensive decoration. Probably in the next century, during one of invasions, they were robbed by Lithuanians and granted to the Duke of Veliky Novgorod, Russia, where there are until the present day, in the Orthodox Church Cathedral of St. Sophia. in 1981, in the Płock cathedral their faithful copy, made from bronze, was suspended.
In the turbulent for Płock 13th century, the cathedral suffered a few times serious losses, as a result of invasions of tribes from the north. at the end of that century, to the facade a vestibule was added, with two Gothic towers on both sides, which in 1492 had be lowered due to a threat of their collapsing. From then, the cathedral bells can be found in the donjon raised at that time, which serves as the bell tower (Clock Tower).
In 1530, a thunderstroke caused a great fire, as a result of which a part of walls and the vaulting tumbled down. Bishop Andrzej Krzycki started reconstruction of the temple from scratch, using the Romanesque stone ashlars. initially works were managed by Italian architects working on the Wawel, Jan Cini, Bernardino di Zanobi de Gianotis and Filippo of Fiesole. in the Romanesque outline, a three-aisle Renaissance basilica was erected, with the dome at the crossing of the aisle and the transept. The construction was completed in 1563 by Giovanni Battista, called Venetian, who gave it the final shape. It was the greatest temple erected in Poland in the 16th century. Unfortunately, rich Romanesque architectonic details and Gothic equipment of the temple were destroyed.
In the second half of the 17th century, the towers were decorated with Baroque cupolas. After subsequent hundred years, the cathedral again required a serious refurbishment. in 1778, cracked walls of towers and of the facade were supported with Classicistic, column portico, according to the design by Domenico Merlini. the cathedral was preserved in this form until the early 20th century.
In the period 1901-1903, a thorough renovation and reconstruction of the temple were conducted, which, at the same time, had to restore its former Renaissance appearance. The works were managed by known Warsaw architect, Stefan Szyller, who designed also a substantial part of equipment of the church (main altar and side altars, pulpit altars, stalls). the remnants of the old decor which were left were valuable Renaissance and Baroque altars, tombstones and epitaphs. attention should be paid to altars in the transept: of the Heavenly Mother of Mazovia, 1634, and the oldest Altar of the Crucifixion,1600.Other monuments were transferred to the new diocesan museum, built for that purpose. The found Romanesque cubical capitals of columns were built in the wall next to the building. in the Royal Chapel, under the northern tower, the sarcophagus is located with the remains of the rulers of Poland - Władysław Herman and Boleslaus the Wry-Mouthed, and of 15 Dukes of Mazovia, in the crypt under a chapel. The sarcophagus was designed by painter Zygmunt Vogel in 1825, and in the years 1904-1914 Władysław Drapiewski along with Nicholas Brucher performed the polychromy, ornamenting the whole interior of the cathedra. during World War 2, bombs damaged the St. Sigismund's Chapel, the temple was transformed into a warehouse, but, fortunately, it escaped major damages. The cathedral with more than 900 years of history is the most valuable monument of Płock.
The treasury of the cathedra was perceived as one of wealthier in Poland, in particular in the 15th and 16th century. It housed numerous gifts of bishops, kings and dukes. within centuries, a constant custom was established; each ruler of the diocese used to give a golden chalice to the Cathedral. There were also a specific material security. in 1774, the treasury contained still 9 chalices, silver monstrances and reliquaries, numerous liturgical equipment, jewelry, jewels, cloth embroidered with gold. In spite of the need to sell a part of the collections in the early 19th century, the treasury contains still valuable monuments from different epochs. A chalice with paten offered ca. 1240 by Conrad of Mazovia, excellent work of Romanesque art , and herma – a reliquary on the head of St. Sigismund , gift of King Kazimierz the Grand, and a golden chalice with enamels – gift of bishop Karol Ferdynand Waza, have been luckily preserved until the present times.
Rich collections of sacred art – sculptures, illuminated incunables, paintings, art craft, liturgical clothes , collection of Słuck belts, can be seen in the Diocesan Museum, located in two buildings next to the cathedra. A wonderful collection of silver vessels – monstrances, chalices, and other silver objects is exposed effectively in the former Benedictine abbey.
