Description of the church and monastery of the Order of the Discalced Carmelite brothers in Berdyczów during the general inspection by Michał Pałucki, general inspector of the Kyiv Diocese in 1786. Source edition

Abstract

The construction of the monastery of Immaculate Conception of BVM in Berdyczów was completed in 1642, but the warfare and conflicts with the founder’s heirs led to the destruction of convent buildings, and forced the Carmelites to leave Berdyczów several times. They permanently returned to the convent in the early 18th century, and rebuilt both the church and the monastery according to new architectural assumptions. The convent became an important religious, scientific, and cultural centre, while also holding a military function. In 1866, the monastery was dissolved pursuant to the dissolution decree issued two years earlier. Buildings from the time have not been preserved in their original shape, and there is no trace of the furniture. After the dissolution, the archives were scattered, and have been preserved in a small part only. Nevertheless, these few preserved archive documents allow us today to, at least partly, reconstruct the appearance, location, and furniture of both the church and the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites in Berdyczów. Description of the church and monastery of the Order of the Discalced Carmelite brothers in Berdyczów during the general inspection by Michał Pałucki, general inspector of the Kyiv Diocese in 1786 is one of the preserved sources presenting such information (about the foundation, furniture, and architecture of the monastery and the church, its relics, epitaphs, and tombstones at the church, as well as the printing shop). It also provides lots of other information referring to material and religious matters of the convent, as well as religious brotherhoods operating there, including the list of monks residing at the convent in 1786. This publication is limited to editing of just the part of the source providing information about the appearance and furniture of the church and the monastery, thus wishing to recall what has, unfortunately, been irreversibly lot from our material cultural heritage.