Latin Cathedral, Catholic cathedral in Old Town, Lviv, Ukraine
The Latin Cathedral is a three-nave hall church of pale stone, 67 m long and 23 m wide, with a tall square bell tower on the left of the main facade and a second, unfinished tower on the right. A steep roof with a high gable rises over the body, and a green copper spire tops the tower. Inside, clustered pillars support pointed arches and a ribbed vault; the walls and vault carry 18th-century Marian frescoes by Stanisław Stroiński.
Construction began around 1360 under King Casimir III, and the presbytery was vaulted in 1404. The church was consecrated in 1405 by Maciej Janina, bishop of Przemyśl, and became a cathedral in 1412 when Lviv became a bishopric. The nave vaulting was completed in 1481, and the main altar was erected in 1766.
The cathedral holds the copy of the Domagalicz image of Our Lady, crowned by John Paul II in 2001, and the Lwów Oath of 1656. The main altar of 1766 has marble columns and four rococo statues by Maciej Polejowski. The chapel of the Campians is the best known of the surrounding chapels.
You can visit the cathedral during regular service times, held in Ukrainian and Polish languages. It functions as an active church, so arrive respectfully and be aware that services may affect when you can walk around freely.
The cathedral's main entrance, once aligned with the high altar, was walled up in 1772 as a protest against Austria's annexation of the city. A plaque before the entrance commemorates Pope John Paul II's visit on 25 June 2001.
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