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Annals of Warsaw 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- Catholic Church) 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. Poland 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. Joseph the Betrothed of the Blessed Virgin 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 Priests parish) 11 Church of St. Maximilian Kolbe 12 Church of St. Dominique and Dominican cloister 13 Church of the Immaculate Conception 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. Thomas the Apostle 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.