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St. Florian's Cathedral
St. Florian's Cathedral
Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr
Katedra Świętego Michała Archanioła i Świętego Floriana
Location	Praga, Warsaw
Country	Poland
Language(s)	Polish
Denomination	Catholic
Tradition	Roman Rite
Website	St. Florian's Cathedral
History
Status	Minor basilica
Dedication	Saint Florian,; Saint Michael the Archangel
Consecrated	29 September 1901
Relics held	Heart of Ignacy Kłopotowski
Past bishop(s)	Kazimierz Romaniuk,; Sławoj Leszek Głódź
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Józef Pius Dziekoński
Architectural type	Cathedral
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1888–1904, 1972 (rebuilt)
Construction cost	₽300 000
Demolished	14 September 1944
Specifications
Capacity	8000
Number of floors	22
Number of towers	2
Tower height	75 m (246 ft)
Materials	Brick
Administration
Diocese	Warszawa-Praga

St. Florian's Cathedral, more formally known as the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr (Polish: Katedra Świętego Michała Archanioła i Świętego Floriana), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to St. Florian. The church is located at 3 Floriańska Street in Praga-Północ district of Warsaw.

History

There has been a Catholic church presence in or around the site of the future church since 1583. However, the impetus for creating a lasting church did not arrive until the late 19th century, when Poland was not an independent country.^[1] The map of Europe was redrawn during the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the resulting territorial maneuvers placed the French Duchy of Warsaw under the control of the Russian Empire, transforming it into the Congress Poland.^[2] Among other intrusions, over twenty Russian Orthodox churches were built in Congress Poland.^[3] To protest against the perceived imposition of a foreign church, and in direct reaction to the monumental Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene built down the street, St Florian’s was built with two commanding 75-meter (246 ft) towers between 1897–1904.^[1]^[4]

The church is named after St. Florian, the patron saint of professions associated with fire, such as firefighters, steelworkers, chimney sweeps, potters and bakers.^[1]

World War II destruction

During and after the Siege of Warsaw, churches were used as a hiding place for Jews, the Warszawa Army and as a general refuge for civilians.^[5] St. Florian's was destroyed by the Germans as they withdrew from Poland in 1944 after the Warsaw Uprising.^[6] The church remained in ruins for several years, but by the 1950s a reconstruction effort slowly began with support from Praga residents. The rebuilt church was reopened in 1972.^[1]

Role in church hierarchy

St Florian's is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Warszawa-Praga and by order of the Holy See was raised to the rank of minor basilica in 1992.^[1] Over four hundred priests form the ministry in this diocese covering 1,274 square miles, divided into 160 parishes and serving approximately one million Polish Catholics.^[7]

Notable features

St Florian's is built in a Gothic Revival style distinguished by two twenty-story towers facing Aleja „Solidarności” (English: Solidarity Avenue), capped with bronze spires. Most of its exterior is made of red brick. Over the entrances are mosaic depictions of Jesus Christ and the emblem of the first bishop of Warszawa-Praga diocese, Kazimierz Romaniuk, while the interior is decorated in red or white plaster and brick.^[1]

Gallery

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f (in Polish) Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr website Archived 2011-03-14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 29, 2011
^ Nicolson, Sir Harold (2001). The Congress of Vienna: A Study in Allied Unity: 1812–1822 Grove Press; Rep. Ed. pp. 140-164. ISBN 0-8021-3744-X
^ Wortman, Richard S. (2000). Scenarios of Power: Myth and Ceremony in Russian Monarchy. Volume Two: From Alexander II to the Abdication of Nicholas II. Princeton University Press. pp. 254–255. ISBN 978-0-691-02947-4.
^ Official Tourist Website of Warsaw Archived 2015-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, Warsaw Tourist Office. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
^ Paweł Giergoń. "Kościół św. Jacka". www.sztuka.net (in Polish). Retrieved March 30, 2011.
^ Warsaw Uprising 1944, WarsawUprising.com, developed and maintained by Project InPosterum. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
^ Cheney, David M., "The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church", Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 30, 2011.