Saint Catherine of Alexandria church in Radom

About

The Bernardine Monastery Complex (Polish: zespół klasztorny Bernardynów) is a Cistercian monastery in Radom, Poland. It is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland. Founded by King Casimir Jagiellon, the monastery has attracted the support of townspeople and nobility for centuries.

In 1467, after exchanges between King Casimir Jagiellon and Pope Paul II, Bishop Jan Rzeszowski was directed to establish a monastery. Monks came to Radom in 1468. The position of the monastery originally sat next to Lublin Gate, a component of the Radom city walls. The king provided land, and other support came from a general collection. In 1602, the chancel was reconstructed. In January 1698, King Augustus II the Strong stayed at the monastery after his coronation. After the 1815 Congress of Vienna, Radom fell to the Russian Empire. In 1863, the monastery was turned into a prison. In 1864, a tsarist ukase ordered the closure of all monasteries in Poland. This action was due to perceptions that the Polish clergy had participated in the January Uprising, with the ukase itself even accusing the clergy of promoting bloodshed. The Bernardine monks from Radom were deported to Paradyż. By 1911, the...