Annals of University of Life Sciences – SGGW Horticulture and Landscape Architecture No 39, 2018: 83–93 (Ann. Warsaw Univ. of Life Sci. – SGGW, Horticult. Landsc. Architect. 39, 2018) DOI 10.22630/AHLA.2018.39.8 The infl uence of sacral buildings on spatial structure and landscape identity MAŁGORZATA KACZYŃSKA Faculty of Horticulture, Biotechnology and Landscape Architecture, Warsaw University of Life Science – SGGW

Abstract: The infl uence of sacral buildings on of sacral buildings can be a basis for the spatial structure and landscape identity. The sub- delimitation of landscapes shaped by ject of the article is the urban cultural landscape and the infl uence of the Christian religion (Roman the Latin (Western-European) civiliza- ) on the landscape. The research tion, the Orthodox (Eastern-European) was aimed to determine the infl uence of the sacral civilization and the Muslim civiliza- buildings on the southern Warsaw landscape spa- tion. Dąbrowska-Budziło (2013) argues tial structure and identity. The research consists that religion is a source of substance of an analysis of the period, and circumstances of parishes establishment, and the delimitation of which underlies human actions and is their borders and church location selection, deter- expressed in the landscape. In literature mination of the parishes landscape composition there are two terms characterizing the and spatial structure. The research showed that the type of cultural landscape where sacral sacral architectural infl uence on the landscape’s spatial structure and identity is still visible. and religious values are important. The fi rst one is the sacral landscape which Key words: sacred landscape, Warsaw, percep- is related to a material manifestation of tional analysis, church, landscape dominant, ur- ban cultural landscape the sacred such as the presence of places of worship. Lehmann (1970) consid- ers the sacral landscape as the spiritual INTRODUCTION and cultural heritage, expressed in sacral buildings in the landscape. According to The subject of the article is the infl uence Jackowski (2003), the sacral landscape of the Roman-Catholic Church on the ur- is created by sacral buildings established ban landscape. For over a thousand years in a particular time on a particular area. has remained under the infl uence Research on the sacral landscape focuses of Western-European civilization, the on the landscape’s transformation under foundations of which were created by the infl uence of religious function devel- Christianity. Today, the infl uence of the opment and interaction between the sa- Christian religion and sacral architecture cred and surrounding space (Jackowski on the landscape and its identity is still 2007). visible. Plit (2008) indicates that there Related to the sacral landscape term is is an impact of civilization’s religion on the religious landscape. A lot of research- the form of landscape it inhabited. Ac- ers consider both terms as synonyms. cording to Plit, the range of occurrences According to Park (1994), the range of 84 M. Kaczyńska research on the religious landscape in- uniqueness is based on the interaction be- cludes, among others, such issues as: tween the physical environment and so- sacral architecture and churches spatial cial factors. According to Relph (1976), distribution, and dynamics of changes. the identity of a place consists of three Myga-Piątek (2012) argues that these interrelated components: physical fea- two terms should be defi ned separately. tures and appearances (natural and man- According to her the sacral landscape made elements, an environment which is identifi ed on the perceptional level of offers its own characteristics), activities an individual or a community and most (events, functional patterns of place) and frequently remains at an intangible level. meaning and symbols (factors shaped The religious landscape often evolves through experiences and interactions from the initial sacral form and materi- among the users of a place). Among the alizes in space through the presence of physical components, he indicates the worship places. manmade elements – like characteristic Madurowicz (2002) conducted the buildings. The landscape’s identity is the research on the sacred realm in urban sum of the elements which identifi es the space. He classifi ed the sacred realm in particular landscape, characteristic fea- the urban landscape as the pure sacred tures that distinguish it from the others realm (temples of different religions (Stanowicka-Traczyk 2008), all being and cemeteries), quasi-sacral zones in the reason why a certain society relates to the profane realm (roadside shrines and its landscape (Bogdanowski 1983). Im- crosses, memorials, insurgents’ graves, portant elements of the landscape iden- places of citizens’ collective execution, tity are architectonic objects, especially monuments), zones of the profane in the those which constitute the dominants of sacred realm (inscriptions, monuments, the spatial composition, such as unique memorials of important past events, buildings distinguishing them from their which do not have a clearly sacral char- environment. These dominants contrib- acter, the historical city center) and the ute to the establishment of the notion of border area between the sacred realm “our town”, and they become symbols and the profane realm. of the town (Wejchert 1984). They are The subject of the research described the landscape element which allows citi- in this article, in reference to the pre- zens to identify with their surroundings. sented terms, are churches, which are the Churches are certainly such distinguish- material manifestation of the sacred in ing buildings in the Polish town land- the urban landscape and are an important scape which often perform the function part of the pure sacred realm. of a dominant. Sowińska (2012) among According to Lynch (1960), identity the material distinctive features of the is a part of an image of a city. The image sacral landscape identity names: the of a city is the physical and most instant- natural-spatial context (natural, cultural ly perceived refl ection on its identity and historical conditions), architectonic (Kaymaz 2013). Stobbelaar and Pedroli form of the worship building, its integri- (2011) defi ne landscape identity as a ty with the surrounding which infl uences perceived uniqueness of a place, and the its visual perception, clarity (clear char- The infl uence of sacral buildings on spatial structure and landscape identity 85 acteristics, eye catching special signs) architectonic form, symbolism and lo- and openness (range of view on the land- cation in the landscape and its composi- scape’s surrounding sacral buildings and tional relations. According to Maduro- range of a panorama seen from the sacral wicz (2002), historically churches were building situated on a hill). the basis of a whole town’s composi- Sacral buildings are the most impor- tion. Nadrowski (2008) emphasizes that tant material components of the sacred a church with its facilities and spatial sphere of the urban landscape. Their context was an indispensable element of dominant role is revealed through their the urban structure and city panorama.

TABLE. List of analysed sacral buildings. Church numbers are compatible with the map showing the area of the examined parishes No Name of sacral building Wilanów deanery Church of St. the Betrothed of the Blessed Mary (St. Stephan the King in Sielce 1 parish) Sisters of Nazareth convent 2 Church of St. Casmir the Prince in Sielce (Resurrectionist Congregation) 3 Sanctuary of Our Lady Teacher of Youths (Our Lady Queen of the Believers parish) Churches of St. Antonio of Padua and St. John of Dukla (St. Boniface in Czerniaków parish) 4 Bernadine cloister 5 Church of St. Thaddeus the Apostle 6 Church of St. Antonio Maria Zaccaria (Barnabite Fathers parish) 7 Church of St. Anna 8 Temple of God’s Providence 9 Church of the Mission of the Lord’s Disciples Służew deanery 10 Church of Our Lady Mother of Mercy (congregation of Marianist Brothers and parish) 11 Church of St. 12 Church of St. Dominique and Dominican cloister 13 Church of the of the Virgin Mary (St. Catherine parish) 14 Church of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, Sacred Heart of Jesus convent 15 Church of SS Peter and Paul the Apostles Ursynów deanery 16 Church of the Lord’s Ascension 17 Church of the Blessed Edmund Bojanowski 18 Church of St. 19 Lord’s Offertory church 20 Church of the Blessed Ladislas of Gielniow 21 Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina 22 Sanctuary of Our Lady Longing (St. Elisabeth parish) 86 M. Kaczyńska

The church was a dominant element of churches meeting the needs of new com- a medieval city and an important ele- munities (Kaczyńska and Sikora 2015). ment of the urban space aesthetics in the Therefore, the selected case study pro- renaissance. In the baroque period and in vides an opportunity to analyse churches the 19th century, churches were located of different times of origin and different at a closure of the compositional axis, architectural forms. on large squares. In the 20th century, The research included the analysis of churches became part of housing estates. the time and circumstances of the estab- In Poland during the communistic peri- lishing of parishes, their coverage trans- od, sacral buildings were often neglected formation and the choosing of the paro- in new designs of housing districts. After chial church location. The analysis was 1989, when free land trade became pos- based on literature review and historical sible, the approach towards the church’s cartographical materials studies. location was changed. Sacral buildings were often located in areas originally destined for other purposes because of RESULTS the necessity for increasing the worship places number (Klima 2011). The area of research is the part of the southern Mazovia region which ini- tially was a part of the Poznań diocese MATERIAL AND METHODS and in 1798 became a part of the newly established Warsaw diocese. The earli- The aim of the research was to identify est parishes erected in the southern Ma- the infl uence of the parish complexes zovia region are St. Catherine parish (22 Roman-Catholic parishes from in Służew, erected in 1238, St. Nicolas 3 deaneries) on the spatial structure and and St. Anna parish in Milanów (later identity of the southern Warsaw land- Wilanów), erected in the middle of the scape. The southern Warsaw urban land- 13th century to the east of Służew, and scape was shaped mostly from the 1970s St. Elisabeth parish in Powsin erected to the 1990s and at the start of the 21st in 1410 as a result of the division of the century. Its spatial composition is based parish in Milanów. Till the 19th century on the historical road system of the pre- the parish structure organization in this viously existing rural area. Although a area had not been changed. great part of the landscape is occupied by The presently existing parish church- relatively new housing estates, the spatial es were built in a later period (St. Cather- complexes of former villages, with their ine church at the turn of the 15th century, internal road system, are still preserved. St. Nicolas and St. Anna church in 1772, The analysed area refl ects a process of St. Elisabeth church in 1725) and they city development through the incor- have replaced previously existing build- poration of the rural area with existing ings. historical parish churches into the city A part of the parishes were erected boundaries and the establishment of new next to the already existing cloisters and urban housing estates with new parish cloister churches. The fi rst one, St. Boni- The infl uence of sacral buildings on spatial structure and landscape identity 87

FIGURE 1. Limits of the southern Warsaw parishes at the end of the 15th century (Piber 2001) face parish in Czerniaków was established in 1981–1994). In 1973 St. Stephan the at the beginning of the 20th century next King parish in Sielce was established, to St. church and the next to St. Joseph the Betrothed to the Bernardines’ cloister built in 1690–1693, Virgin Mary church built in 1926 by founded by the Polish magnate Stanisław Sisters of Nazareth convent. In 1946 Herakliusz Lubomirski. In 1950, a part the SS Peter and Paul the Apostles par- of St. Boniface parish terrain became the ish in Pyry was erected, which resulted St. Casmir parish in Sielce, erected next from the division of St. Catherine parish to St. Casmir the Prince church built in in Służew. In 1950, next to the existing 1932–1933 by Resurrectionist Order. In wooden chapel, St. Thaddeus the Apos- 1952 from the division of St. Catherine tle parish in Sadyba was created which parish in Służew, St. Dominic parish was was separated from St. Boniface parish established. The parishioners used the in Czerniaków. In 1952 St. Madeleine church built by the Dominicans in 1935 Sophie Barat parish in Grabów was es- (the presently existing church was built tablished next to a chapel erected on ter- 88 M. Kaczyńska rain bought by the Sacred Heart of Jesus The majority of the parish complexes convent just before World War II. was established on the newly constructed Other parishes, such as the parish of housing estates – the last ones on the ter- Our Lady the Mother of Mercy in Stegny ritories most recently incorporated into (congregation of Marianist Brothers and the city area, where a housing develop- Priests), the Our Lady Queen of the Be- ment process has just begun. lievers parish in Siekierki, St. Maximil- The fi rst settlements were built on ian Kolbe parish in Służewiec, Lord’s the postglacial plain escarpment along Ascension parish in Stokłosy, St. Thomas the edge of the fl uvial terrace of the Vis- the Apostle in Imielin, Lord’s Offertory tula river valley, along streams, small in Wyżyny and the Blessed Ladislas of natural lakes and ponds. The oldest set- Gielniow in Natolin were erected in the tlements in the region, such as Służew 1980s. After the collapse of the Polish and Milanów, were established in such People’s Republic, other parishes were a location. The historical churches were established: in 1995 St. Antonio Maria usually located in the center of the set- Zaccaria parish in Stegny (Barnabite tlement, often on the highest place (e.g. Fathers) which was created from a part the church in Służew) or close to the of the territories of three previously ex- residence of the landowner who founded isting parishes – Our Lady the Mother of the temple (e.g. the church in Wilanów). Mercy parish, St. Thaddeus the Apostle Parishes included from a few up to a doz- parish and St. Nicolas and St. Anna par- en villages and were related to the land- ish. In 1999 the parish of St. Pio of Piet- ownership. The church had to be easy relcina in Moczydło was erected and in accessible for all parishioners. For in- 2001 the Blessed Edmund Bojanowski stance, the church in Powsin was erected parish in Wolica was created. The last in 1398 for the inhabitants of the Ciołek parishes created within the research area family manorial estate who previously were the parish of God’s Providence in had to go to churches in other villages Wilanów and the parish dedicated to such as Milanów or Służew. Further par- Mission of the Lord’s Disciples in Kępa ishes were created through the division Zawadowska. of those previously erected. The aim was The oldest churches were built by or- the reduction of the distance between the ders (e.g. the church in Służew founded church and surrounding villages and set- by the Order of the canons regular in tlements. A part of the oldest parish in Czerwińsk) or landowners who erected Służew became the parish in Milanów churches not only as a votive offering (later Wilanów), and in 1410 a part of but also to provide easier access to reli- those parishes’ territories became the gious services for their subjects (e.g. the parish in Powsin (Karaszewski 2011). church in Powsin, erected by the Ciołek To trace the parishes limits also natural family, the church in Wilanów founded barriers were taken into consideration. by the successors of the then Milanów A great part of the original boundary be- manorial estate, the church and cloister tween the parish in Służew and the par- in Czerniaków founded by Stanisław ish in Milanów was established along the Herakliusz Lubomirski). postglacial plain escarpment and marsh- The infl uence of sacral buildings on spatial structure and landscape identity 89

FIGURE 2. Map showing the area of the examined parishes (the numbers from 1 to 22 mark parish churches). Based on maps of Warsaw deaneries available on website http://koscioly.warszawa.pl es and woods located beneath it which Ascension in Stokłosy is a part of the constituted the natural barrier. When existing St. Madeleine Sophie Barat par- the new church in Powsin was built, the ish in Grabów, while St. Thomas the boundary between the newly established Apostle in Imielin is a part of the exist- parish and the existing parish in Służew ing parish in Służew). The number of was set along the area of the dense for- parishes depends rather on the urban de- est which was a natural obstacle (Piber velopment than the administrative area. 2001). Sometimes even the area which The building of new churches is related administratively constituted one settle- to residential areas development. The ment or village was divided into two dif- church location depends on functional ferent parishes because of the existing reasons – easy access for the parishion- natural topographical barriers. For in- ers. For example, the newly built church stance Okrzeszyn village, set along two in Kępa Zawadowska was located in the sides of the Wilanówka river, belonged parish center, which provides comfort- to two parishes. able access for all parishioners although Presently, also new parishes are cre- presently the church’s nearest surround- ated through the division of those previ- ing is less inhabited than the northern ously existing to facilitate access to a area of the parish. Also, present par- church (e.g. the largest parish of Lord’s ish boundaries are determined on the 90 M. Kaczyńska

FIGURE 3. St. Catherine church in Służew and the Blessed Edmund Bojanowski church in Wolica

FIGURE 4. Lord’s Ascension church in Stokłosy and Our Lady the Mother of Mercy church in Stegny

FIGURE 5. St. Anthony of Padua church in Czerniaków and St. Thomas the Apostle church in Imielin The infl uence of sacral buildings on spatial structure and landscape identity 91

FIGURE 6. Temple of God’s Providence and St. Nicolas and St. Anna church in Wilanów basis of functional reasons. For instance of an escarpment and decided to locate a road leading to one parish cannot cross the church of St. Thomas the Apostle a neighboring parish. Topographical bar- in Imielin in the middle of the Southern riers such as escarpments, valleys, rivers Ursynów housing estate. New churches, or streams also today are used to set the often surrounded by high blocks of fl ats, borderlines between parishes. seemed to be “pushed into” residential The historical churches usually have areas and were not perceived as land- been located on the highest places, which scape dominants (i.e. the church of Our emphasized their prestige and allowed Lady the Mother of Mercy in Stegny). them to dominate the surrounding land- An exception is Lord’s Ascension church scape. Churches built on a fl at terrain in Stokłosy built in the center of a hous- were also perceived as landscape domi- ing estate, on the large square previously nants because they were usually sur- occupied by the marketplace, which was rounded by rural residential areas, fi elds transformed into a representative public and meadows. Some churches (e.g. the space. The church unexpectedly has be- churches in Wilanów and Służew) were come the dominant of the whole residen- visually connected and constituted an im- tial area (Klima 2011). portant element of a composition of the After the political transformation in landowners’ residential gardens. Their 1989, because of the necessity for in- dominant role in the landscape and com- creasing the number of places of wor- positional relation with other landscape ship, sacral buildings were often located elements have become less visible now in areas originally destined for other because of intense urban development. purposes. For example, the church of the During the period of the Polish Peo- Blessed Edmund Bojanowski in Wolica ple’s Republic churches were built in was built on the edge of the escarpment, less prestigious places, which did not al- next to the natural reserve area, because low them to have visual impact on the the local authorities could not fi nd an- surrounding landscape. For example, other location for the sacral building in the former authorities rejected the pro- this neighbourhood. posal to build a new church on the top 92 M. Kaczyńska

SUMMARY DĄBROWSKA-BUDZIŁO K. 2013: Forma i treść krajobrazowej kompozycji. Wy- Churches, with their landscape, histori- dawnictwo Politechniki Krakowskiej, cal and cultural context, are the material Kraków. JACKOWSKI A. 2003: Święta przestrzeń expression of landscape identity. Sacral świata. Podstawy geografi i religii. Wy- buildings decide about an image of a city dawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskie- and because of their distinguished form go, Kraków. they are often perceived as architectonic JACKOWSKI A. 2007: Rozważania o krajo- dominants. Churches perform a role of brazie sakralnym. In: K. Ostaszewska, I. landmarks – point references which fa- Szumacher, S. Kulczyk, E. Malinowska cilitate orientation within the city. (Eds.) Znaczenie badań krajobrazowych The research has shown that the par- dla zrównoważonego rozwoju. Wydaw- nictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, ish organizational spatial structure re- Warszawa:133−143. sulted from functional reasons (church KACZYŃSKA M., SIKORA D. 2015: The distance), landscape conditions (taking church garden as an element shaping the into consideration natural terrain barriers quality of city life – a case study in south- like rivers, streams, escarpments etc.) ern Warsaw. Ann. Warsaw Uni. of Life and the administrational structure (tak- Sci. – SGGW. Horticult. Landsc. Archit. ing into consideration the city’s borders 36: 71−92. KAYMAZ I. 2013: Urban Landscapes and in the parish structure). Taking into con- Identity. In: M. Ozyavuz (Ed.) Advanc- sideration in the contemporary spatial es in Landscape Architecture. InTech: parish structure the natural landscape 739−760. conditions proves respect for important KARASZEWSKI Z. 2011: W cieniu stoli- elements of the identity of the city, such cy. Ks. Paweł Bijak List do Parafi an 7: as the landscape’s physiognomy and top- 15−18. ographical features. KLIMA E. 2011: Przestrzeń religijna miasta. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, The contemporary churches are built Łódź. in locations which are most adequate be- LEHMANN M. 1970: Die Kalvarienbergan- cause of the functional reasons, not be- lagen im Donauraum. In: W. Flieder (Ed.) cause of their special topographical and Festschrift Franz Loidl zum 65. Geburt- landscape values. However, all churches, stag. Sammlung “Aus Christentum und both the historical and the new ones, are Kultur” Sonderband 1, Wien: 113−159. situated along the main streets which are LYNCH K. 1960: The Image of the City. The usually parallel to the linear topographi- Technology Press and Harvard Univer- sity Press, Cambridge. cal elements of the Vistula river valley. MADUROWICZ M. 2002: Sfera sacrum The churches, with natural landscape w przestrzeni miejskiej Warszawy. Wy- features, create a clear spatial structure. dawnictwo Akademickie Dialog, War- szawa. MYGA-PIĄTEK U. 2012: Krajobrazy sa- REFERENCES kralne i religijne – próba umiejscowienia w typologii krajobrazów kulturowych. BOGDANOWSKI J. 1983: Wprowadzenie Pr. Kom. Kraj. Kult. 17: 13–23. do regionalizmu architektoniczno-krajo- NADROWSKI H. 2008: Bliższe i dalsze brazowego. Wiad. Ekol. 29: 183−197. otoczenie kościoła. In: R. Kozakiewicz- The infl uence of sacral buildings on spatial structure and landscape identity 93

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