The first in Poland outstanding example of adapting Palladian concept of a palace to the needs of sacred architecture, that began to be used in Polish residential architecture as late as in the second half of the 18th century. Baroque and Rococo furnishings.

History of the structure

The church founded by Jan Klemens Branicki was built and furnished in the years 1742-1751, consecrated in 1750. Construction of the church, which occupied the entire eastern frontage of the Market Square was related to the rebuilding of Tykocin undertaken by Branicki. Construction works were supervised by Tomasz Belloti. The construction of the presbytery began in 1748. In the same year, the church area was enclosed with a wall. The design of the gate with busts of four evangelists was made by Jan Henryk Klemm. After the death of the parish priest in 1751, Branicki entrusted the parish to the Congregation of the Mission and founded a seminary for clerics of the Łuck diocese. In connection with the new task, in the years 1769-1771 the presbytery was expanded according to the design of Kazimierz Nowicki Jr. After the January Uprising, the tsarist authorities took the parish away from the missionaries and liquidated the seminary. During World War II, the church was damaged when the bridge was blown up. Renovated in the years 1870-1873, in the years 1910-1911 Władysław Drapiewski carried out restoration works on the baroque polychrome in the presbytery and in the nave, and repainted the walls in the aisles and the chapel.

Description of the structure

The church of the Holy Trinity complex is situated on a rectangular plot, along the entire eastern width of the frontage of the former Market Square, presently Czarniecki Square, to the north adjacent to Poświętna Street, to the south 11 Listopada Street. It is the most important element of the Market Square, with the statue of Stefan Czarniecki on the axis of the main entrance.

The church complex was designed in the Baroque style. Oriented. The parish church is situated in the eastern frontage of the Market Square, made of brick, plastered. It was built on a rectangular plan with a somewhat wider chancel. A three-aisle, basilica type building. The nave and chancel are under a three-sloped roof, side aisles, sacristy and treasury - with a mono-pitched roofs. The facade is divided with pilasters and lisenes in the Tuscan order and profiled cornices, topped with a triangular pediment, in the background of which there is an attic in the form of a semicircle imitating a dome with a lantern. A memorial plaque dedicated to the founder above the main entrance. Symmetrically on both sides of the façade, there is a three-arcaded screen wall on a quarter-circular plan, ending with a two-story tower with rounded corners, topped with cupola. The arcade walls and towers have the same architectural divisions as the façade. Between the towers there is a wall with a semicircular rounded gate decorated with busts of evangelists carved by Jan Christian Redler. Behind the church to the east there is the building of former seminary, currently presbytery, positioned with its gable towards the northern frontage of 11 Listopada Street. Made of brick, on a rectangular plan, two-story, covered with a hip roof. Elevations with frame divisions. The interior is under barrel vaults and flat ceilings. The granary is situated in the eastern part of the complex. Built on the floor plan in the shape of the letter L, made of stone and brick, single-storey, covered with a gable and half-hipped roof. Between the presbytery and the granary, there is a brick gate with basket arch headed openings, covered with a hip roof.

Visitor access: The historical monument is accessible all year round.

Author of the note: Joanna Kotyńska-Stetkiewicz, Regional Branch Białystok, 20 October 2014

Bibliography

• Tykocin. Kościół parafialny pw. Świętej Trójcy. Dokumentacja historyczno-architektoniczna, compiled by A. Walkiewicz, Białystok 1982, typescript of the Historical Monument Conservation Workshop, in the collection of the Regional Monuments Protection Office in Białystok.
• Monkiewicz, Tykocin, Białystok 1983, pp. 27-34.
• Jemielity, Zabytki sakralne Tykocina, Łomża 1989, p. 2-6.