The Wall painting in the Franciscan Church of St. John the Baptist in Holszany: history and conservation works

ENHolszany is a town located on the territory of today's Belarus which was originally known as the estates of Lithuanian Dukes of Holszany, and since the 16th century - the Sapieha family. Initially, it belonged to Bogdan Sapieha who granted the local Catholic church to Evangelicals but when he got converted to Catholicism he took it back. In 1618, the Great Deputy Chancellor of Lithuania Pawel Stefan Sapieha granted the foundation to the Franciscans in Holszany; he also built the Church of St. John the Baptist and a residential building for them. In 1774, the church was remodeled for the Franciscans' money. Its main facade was decorated with paintings of scenes from the life of its patron - St. John the Baptist, and new altars were added in about 1790. [...].