The Church of the Holy Spirit, located in Długa Street, is one of the oldest and most important Baroque monuments in Warsaw. For more than three hundred years, the church has been an important part of the panorama of the Old and New Towns, witnessing the turbulent history of Poland. For several years, the church has been undergoing intensive restoration work, largely financed by municipal subsidies.
The history of the site dates back to the 14th century, when a wooden church and Warsaw’s first hospital were built on Długa Street. This was the Holy Spirit Hospital, which played an important caring role in medieval Warsaw. During the Swedish Deluge (1655-1660), both the hospital and the church were destroyed. In 1662, King Jan Kazimierz donated the area to the Pauline Order as a token of gratitude for their role in defending Jasna Góra during the Swedish siege.
The church in the 1860s. Source: Digital National Museum
The current church was built between 1707 and 1717 and was designed by Joseph Piola and Joseph Bellotti, well-known architects of the era. The temple, built in Baroque style, is characterised by rich ornamentation and a monumental façade. The building was an important spiritual as well as social centre, associated with the Brotherhood of the Lord Jesus of Pentecost, an association of Warsaw residents.
The Church of the Holy Spirit in 1920 and 1947. Source: Digital National Museum and NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl
During World War II, the Church of the Holy Spirit suffered severe damage, mainly during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Bombardments caused significant damage to the building and dozens of people died in the basement of the church. After the end of the war, in 1948, the Pauline monks returned to the ruined monastery and began to rebuild it. Work continued until 1956, and the church was restored as a place of worship.
The temple in 1946 and 2023. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl and Google Maps
The church has been undergoing a series of renovations and restoration works in recent years. Between 2022 and 2023, thanks to municipal grants, the façade and window grille of the chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa were repaired, and damp proofing of the western foundation wall was carried out. Restoration of the brick structure of the lower storey of the church was also carried out.
Thanks to a PLN 315,000 city grant, renovation and conservation work is currently underway on the front elevation of the church and the two tower walls, during which secondary cement additions that deformed the original architectural shapes were removed. The works also brought interesting discoveries. During them, it turned out that the foundation plaque from 1714, hitherto thought to be made of black Dębnik marble, was in fact made of sandstone, painted black. In addition, a stone surround was uncovered beneath the plasterwork of the tympanum above the entrance to the church, which will undergo further conservation.
The restoration of the church is not fully funded by municipal subsidies, forcing the order to seek additional sources of support. For example, funding has been obtained from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for the conservation of the sculptures in the church niches. Further conservation work is planned for the future to preserve this valuable monument for future generations.
Source: Warsaw City Hall
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Renovation | Monument | Sacral architecture | Warsaw
