Dominican Church, Lviv
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Church,_Lviv
The Dominican church and monastery (Ukrainian: Домініканський костел і монастир, Dominikanskyi kostel i monastyr, Polish: Kościół i klasztor Dominikanów we Lwowie) in Lviv, Ukraine is located in the city's Old Town, east of the market square. It was originally built as the Roman Catholic church of Corpus Christi, and today serves as the Greek Catholic church of the Holy Eucharist.
History
The Dominican Order first arrived in Lviv during the 13th century and the first wooden church is said to have been built in 1234 within the Low Castle, founded by the wife of Leo I of Halych. That church burned down during a war in 1340. A new Gothic church, resembling the parish church in Kazimierz Dolny, was built on the present site in 1378 and later rebuilt after a fire in 1407 along with the monastery buildings. During the 16th century the complex was ravaged by several fires, nevertheless it continued to gradually rise in prosperity. In the 18th century the churches ceiling started cracking and it was decided in 1745 that the church has to be taken apart and replaced with a new one.
In 1749 Józef Potocki laid the cornerstone for the present day Baroque church, commonly attributed to Jan de Witte. The church was consecrated in 1764 by the Latin archbishop of Lviv Wacław Hieronim Sierakowski. The Dominicans managed to safely survive through the reign of the Austrian emperor Joseph II, who closed many other monasteries. In 1865 a neo-baroque bell tower was added to the complex. In the years 1885-1914 a controversial renovation of the facade and interior was carried out.
The inscription on the facade reads Soli Deo Honor et Gloria (”Only To God Honour And Glory”).
From Latin to English, the phrase "Soli Deo Honor Et Gloria" translates to "the only God, be honor and glory"
SOLI DEO HONOR ET GLORIA
to God alone be honor and glory
Богу единому честь и слава
