For over 250 years, the monastery was the centre of religious life as well as patriotic and social activity. Together with the church, it is an example of simple, even austere sacred architecture typical of Capuchins.

History of the structure

In 1763 the brothers Trzaska, Józef (canon of Płock) and Hilary (land judge), brought the Capuchins to Łomża. The friars settled in the northern part of the town, on Popowa Góra, where there was already a Benedictine nunnery. In the years 1770 - 1772, according to the design of a Warsaw architect - Tański, under the care of a religious builder, a monk from Hungary - Emeryk of Naydorf, a monastery was built on an embankment on the Narew River, and a few years later, in 1788-1789, a baroque temple. Materials from the ruined church of St. Lawrence were used for the construction of the monastery complex The temple was consecrated on 2 September 1798 During the time of the construction, the gardens and terraces on the embankment were put in order, and in 1799 a one-story pavilion was erected. At the end of the 18th century and in the early 19th century, utility buildings were constructed along the presently existing Kapucyńska Street. In 1844, the complex was surrounded by a brick wall. In the years 1924-1925, the College of St. Fidelis was built in the area of the monastery. It was constructed according to Stefan Szyller’s architectural design. The school functioned until September 1939. During World War II, the friars joined the underground, which resulted in the deportation of some of them to Siberia. In 1944, the retreating Germans planned to blow up the church and buildings, but both the monastery and the temple survived. In the years 1972-1974, a second storey was built in the southern part of the monastery.

Description of the structure

The monastery buildings are located on the Narew River embankment, to the north from the town center, on the southern frontage of Krzywe Koło Street. The buildings were designed in the Baroque style.

Presently the complex covers an area of approx. 1.2 ha. Apart from the monastery building (in the south-western part of the area) it includes outbuildings (from the side of Kapucynów Street) and a garden located north of the buildings, on the terraces of the embankment. The building of the former college, located on the eastern side, was sold in 1990s and excluded from the complex. The monastery building is a three-wing structure, in its eastern part connected with the church and with a pavilion in its north-western corner. Made of brick and plastered, two-storey and three-storey southern wing. The ground floor has a cross-barrel vault, wooden truss, gable roofs covered with tiles. The outbuildings on the western side are made of brick and plastered, one-story. The complex from On the side of Krzywe Koło Street the complex is enclosed by a brick wall, plastered, with the entrance gate headed with segmental arch, topped with a triangular gable covered with tiles. On the side of the church the wall elliptical on plan, with recesses under segmental archess. From the side of Kapucyńska Street, a blind wall of outbuildings on a high foundation adapted to the slope of the embankment. From the side of Rybaki Street, terraced terrain, gardens enclosed by a brick, plastered wall.

Visitor access: The object can be viewed from the outside.

Author of the note: compiled by Grażyna Rogala, TT&B Białystok, 10 December 2015

Bibliography

• Dobroński A., Łomża w latach 1866-1918, Łomża-Białystok 1993.
• Jemielity W., Łomża w okresie międzywojennym, Łomża 2002.
• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce. Seria Nowa, vol. 9: Województwo łomżyńskie, fol. 1: Łomża i okolice, Warsaw 1982, pp. 35-40