Hochberg Chapel

A treasure recovered from the rubble

Wrocław - Poland

Расположение

Wrocław - Poland

Project

ANPA Techniki Oświetleniowe Sp. z o.o. ( s.r.l.)

Photo

Szymon Aleksandrowicz

Hochberg Chapel

The frescoes and lost works

The Hochberg Chapel was originally built between 1723 and 1728 by Abbot Ferdinand von Promonstratensów Hochberg, after whom it is named and whose remains are preserved here. The Greek Catholic Baroque church, resplendent with beautiful frescoes depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, numerous statues and works of art by leading Silesian artists of the time, and the presence of fine workmanship by local craftsmen. Unfortunately, during World War II, a bombing raid on the city almost completely destroyed the chapel, which remained a pile of rubble for many years.

Hi-res images

.zip

Recovery and valorisation

In 2000, finally, the long reconstruction and restoration project began, which would last for the next twelve years. The reconstruction of the chapel was a true feat: like pieces of an immense mosaic, all the recovered fragments were repositioned, mostly restoring their designs and colours, and completing the missing parts thanks to reconstructions based on photographic archives fortunately saved from the bombing. Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, the frescoed chapel has returned to captivate visitors, rich in vibrant and intense colours that needed to be highlighted by an enveloping light.

In 2013, after the grandiose undertaking of reconstruction, the entire chapel was illuminated using Xenia bars: a profile that guarantees high brightness thanks to the powerLED source, with flexible light distribution thanks to the different optics available that can create numerous lighting effects.