Dominican church in Janów Podlaski, Catholic church building in Janów Podlaski, Poland.
The Dominican church in Janów Podlaski features classical architecture with a symmetrical facade, precise proportions, and white exterior walls that create a balanced appearance. The building's regular forms follow neoclassical design principles and occupy a notable place in the town's built environment.
A first church on the site was founded around 1465 by Bishop Jan Łosowicz and was taken over by the Dominicans in the early 17th century. After a fire destroyed it in 1667, the present brick church was built between 1790 and 1801, though one account describes only a reconstruction and enlargement. Russian authorities handed it to the Uniates in 1867, and from 1875 to 1915 it served as an Orthodox church.
The church is inactive and serves as a filial chapel of the Holy Trinity parish in Janów Podlaski. Its name recalls John the Baptist, to whom the original 15th-century foundation was dedicated. In the interwar years, Neo-Uniate services were held here alongside Latin rites.
The church stands in the centre of Janów Podlaski, near the site of the former cemetery where Polish soldiers fallen at Cieleśnica were buried after the Polish-Soviet war. It is no longer used for worship and functions only as a filial chapel of the Holy Trinity parish, so it is normally closed; visits depend on the parish. The brick bell gate built when the building served as an Orthodox church marks the entrance.
During World War I, German forces repurposed the building as a field hospital and later as a grain storage facility. This transformation shows how the structure adapted to wartime demands beyond its original religious purpose.
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