The edge of castles and fortresses. Part 2
Continued. Start here:
Full route: Kyiv - Medzhibizh - Zbarazh - Ternopil - Terebovlya - Buchach - Yazlovets - Chortkiv - Sidoriv - Husiatyn - Sataniv - Letychiv - Kyiv
Ternopil turned out to be a very nice and cozy city. It lies on the shores of a picturesque pond, framed by a beautiful and well-groomed promenade. Within walking distance in the historic center is the majestic Baroque Dominican monastery (1749 - 1779), the castle (1540), although heavily modified by later reconstructions, the defensive stone church of the Nativity of Christ (1602 - 16) La Scala, beloved performed by Giuseppe Verdi Solomiya Krushelnytska. The city also has a huge park where guests and locals spend their weekends.
From Ternopil to the ancient Terebovlia about an hour's drive. The castle has been preserved in the city (1631), the defensive church of St. Nicholas (late 16th century).
), Carmelite Defensive Monastery (1635)
), as well as Pidhirtsi monastery-fortress (XVI - XVII centuries. ). The chronicle tells a spooky story about the owner of Trebovlia, Prince Vasilko. To protect themselves from the prince's militancy, rivals in the struggle of power lured them into a trap and blinded them. And the prince, even a blind man, went to war against them and took cruel revenge. Now only the castle hill, which rises above the city, reminds of the princely times in Terebovlia, from which a pleasant panorama of the surroundings opens up. The foundations of the Vasilka Fortress and later fortifications are hidden under the walls of the castle, built in 1631. A characteristic feature of the building is a huge ronde tower. Very few fortifications of this type have survived throughout Europe. In the XVI - XVII centuries. Terebovlya was a typical fortress city, so all the buildings that have survived to this day have clear defensive features.
And the small church of St.
Nicholas with loopholes in the altar, and a heavily fortified Carmelite monastery played a significant role in the defense of the city. Not far from Terebovlia on a high hill is the Podhorian monastery-fortress. The mighty walls and towers of the monastic fortress fit perfectly into the majestic landscape.
Another hour and a half in the fields of Tenopolshchyna and we finally get to the city of XV - XVII centuries. (now the village) Yazlovets. Once Yazlovets was a rich merchant town, which was called Palmyra of Podillya, its powerful fortifications were compared to the fortifications of Kamianets-Podilskyi. The city owes much of its prosperity to an influential Armenian community, although Ukrainians, Poles, and Jews have also made money and effort to prosper and defend this picturesque corner of Podillya. Yazlovets became a village at the end of the XVII century.
after two devastating assaults: first the Turkish army captured the city, and a few years later the army of the Commonwealth led by King Jan Sobieski finally destroyed it. However, a number of buildings survived the disaster. A huge castle, founded by princes of the Buchach family, like the old one, rises above the town. The defensive church, which withstood more than one assault, is strong. In the former Armenian quarter, the houses were built on ancient foundations - in the same places as the stone houses of merchants and carvers in the Middle Ages. Even a unique hydraulic structure in Central and Eastern Europe - a stone underground cistern for storing key water - still operates, supplying water to surrounding homes and local schools. In Yazlovka opened a wonderful restaurant "Askold", which is very nice and affordable to relax after a long journey.
Reinforcing our forces, we went to Buchach, a town that served as a border fortification of the Galicia-Volyn principality. It is first mentioned in documents of the XIV century. And the settlement was recognized as a full-fledged city only in 1515, when Buchach received the Magdeburg right. The oldest building in the city - the castle, during its existence has undergone numerous reconstructions. The fortress rises on the mountain, but only the foundations have survived from the oldest part, and the walls and towers that have survived to our time were built in the XVI century. On the opposite bank of the river Strypa, as a reflection of the Castle Hill, lies Mount Fedor, on which the exquisite baroque ensemble of the Basilian monastery is built. And in the hollow between the mountains along the river and the city is located. Its central square is decorated with the town hall, designed by the famous architect Bernard Meretin, who built the Cathedral of St.
Jura in Lviv and many other beautiful baroque buildings.
The brilliant sculptor Johann Georg Pinzel collaborated with Meretin on many sites, creating a monumental sculpture for interiors. The masters traveled a lot in search of orders, but in Buchach Pinzel stayed for a long time and even got married. The Church of the Intercession (1755 - 1764) is well preserved in the city. ) and the ensemble of the Basilian monastery (1735 - 1770)
Despite the bad weather, it was decided to visit another landmark, located next to the hotel "Mandry", where we regained strength after a long day. The Potocki Castle (1600) in Pidzamochka was a suburban fortification that protected the approaches to Buchach.
In Pidzamochka it is easy to imagine how the defenders of the castle decorated with the Potocki coat of arms perceived the surrounding space - because modern architecture does not cover the horizon, and the majestic hills between which the river snakes are the same as 400 years ago. The mighty ruins of the castle are no less impressive than the enchanting landscape.
