One of traditional practices related to celebrating Paschal
Triduum in Poland is visiting symbolic Holy Sepulchres.
Set up since medieval times, they have taken a permanent place
in our cultural landscape. Our domestic Sepulchrum Domini,
probably of Italian descent and already listed in 11th-century
sources, represented a background for a dramatised celebration
of the burial of Christ, visitation of the sepulchre and resurrection
and took on various forms over centuries. At first, a tent or
a cyborium was erected from curtains on an altar; inside, a tomb
chest was installed. It contained a cross, sometimes a figure of
Christ with moving arms taken out from a crucifix, while in the early 16th century – the crucifix and the Host. Since the late
16th century, the Holy Sepulchre was at the same time a place
of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and its adoration.
In response to the reformation movement, the Council of
Trent (1545-1563), apart from internal modernisation of the
church and development of a new synthesis of the Catholic
doctrine, made necessary arrangements of the liturgy. Among
other changes, the conclusion of the Good Friday ritual was
significantly reduced. In comparison to an economic liturgical
form, the folk piety was facing an exuberant growth. Devotions
related to visiting Sepulchrum Domini flourished, ardently practised
by kings and representatives of all strata. Tombs were arranged
in all churches, therefore a custom of visiting at least
some of them fossilized.
The lack of detailed recommendations as to the appearance
of Sepulchrum resulted in taking over nearly all forms of previous
tombs in the early modern era, developing them in accordance
with fashions of the day. Therefore, the Baroque Holy
Sepulchres were marked by richness and diversity. A popular
type included niches hosting a figure of Christ, usually with
a rich sculpted decorations (Kraków, Toruń Podgórze). Another
form was represented by winged decorations, locating a monstrance
against the realistically painted architecture comprising
a number of arcades (Toruń, Stary Sącz).
Over time, the tombs gained a more developed artwork and
transformed, especially in 17th and 18th centuries, into huge
theatrical shows enriched by passion music. Apart from a Calvary
or Christ, the tombs contained figures of the Mother of
God, accompanying women, Jews, Roman soldiers and sometimes
characters or entire scenes from the Old Testament,
symbolising passion and resurrection of Christ: Abraham sacrificing
Isaac, Joseph thrown into a well by his brothers, Daniel
in a cave full of lions, Jonah swallowed by a sea creature.
The dramatisation was enhanced by imitating cracking rocks,
strangeness – by imitating weather phenomena, arranging
a game of lights and movable elements. Figures from Baroque
decoration of tombs can sometimes be found in museums and
churches (among others, Boćki, Kalwaria Pakoska, Działoszyce,
Henryków).
A special type of decoration presented a character or
a scene (mostly painted) with a circular opening to present the
Host placed in a monstrance behind a decorative board to the
faithful. Placing Corpus Christi in an image of Christ (Pieta from
the church of Norbertines in Imbramowice, Ecce homo from the
parochial church in Babice) was to prove the truth about the
real presence of the Saviour in the form of Eucharistic Bread,
which was disputed by infidels. Decorations hosting an opening
in the body of the Mother of God (Lublin, Tum near Łęczyca) or
Daniel the prophet – figures of Christ (Vilnius) have survived.
The Council of Trent reminded the faithful about didactic
and pedagogical tasks of the sacral art, which in the Baroque
era became a special tool for propagatio fidei in Catholic countries.
Its task was mainly to revive the spirit of Catholic faith
through a visual presentation of contents of dogmas negated by
the Protestants. Expressed in artistic form and combined with
their presence in the liturgy, they appealed more strongly and
in a more accessible manner to the faithful. Good Friday tombs
were a perfect catechesis instrument and an element of stimulating
piety in Poland. Intended for public exposure, they suited
best to proclaim truths of the faith, since their form influenced
broad parts of the society, appealed to the simple folk, even to
children.
The 19th century decrees of the Sacred Congregation of
Rituals and subsequent regulations ordered such a reduction
of Sepulchrum Domini decorations, so that a monstrance with
the Blessed Sacrament constituted an artistic and ideological
centre.
Remainders of decorations, testimonies of a rich Baroque
passion piety, stored in treasuries, sacristies, belfries are destined
to extinction, if not already destroyed. Given the popular
character of erecting Sepulchrums Domini, their number is surprisingly
small in inventories of non-museum objects on the
territory of today’s Poland. Probably the sole character of decoration,
assumed as temporary and occasional, has influenced
this state of affairs. Moreover, the decoration of Sepulchrum
Domini, which often bore catechetical contents in the Baroque
era, must have given space to the exposure of the Blessed
Sacrament in the light of subsequent liturgical regulations.
Strengthening of primacy of liturgy over folk piety made the
works of art that constituted expressions of this form of piety
and background for its practising, did not take root in the sacral
space and, apart from a few exceptions, are subject to slow
degradation. Most often wooden, improperly stored, exposed to
changes in temperature, humidity and activity of pests. This
article attempts at drawing attention to these ever more scarce,
nearly extinct testimonies of Catholic religiosity and culture of
the past epochs, which fully deserve protection, conservation
and a decent place in ecclesiastical museum collections.
