Two late-Baroque altars standing in parallel on both sides of the main nave under the invocation of St. Adalbert and St. John of Nepomuk are a pair of nearly identical altars made by famous Czech stucco decorators from Prague, educated in excellent Bavarian workshops. Both were founded in 1741 by the Abbot, Wojciech Stanisław Leski, and the local convent. They were consecrated in 1757. Both are distinguished by their sculptural decoration and their characteristic late Baroque form, with columns reaching out to the viewer. The canon of contemporary art also aimed at presenting the main stage under a spectacular curtain-baldachin, which was modelled on the works of Bernini. They are made mainly of stucco,
a mixture of precious plaster and marble dust which facilitate shaping of the final form and perfectly imitate marble after being painted. This was one of the favourite techniques of that time.
The restoration work carried out on both altars is part of the project “Cathedral Basilica in Pelplin – renovation and opening of a new exhibition area” and will last until the third quarter of 2020.
Altar of St. John of Nepomuk
St. John of Nepomuk lived in the 14th century and was a Prague canon. He was imprisoned during the conflict between the Czech king and the archbishop and was killed after being tortured – according to legend, it was because he refused to reveal the secrets entrusted to him during confessions with the queen, who was suspected of being unfaithful to her husband. The iconography of his representation focuses on these two aspects – martyrdom that equates saints with kings and the seal of confession for which he became a patron: his head is surrounded by an aureole with five stars symbolizing virtues of martyrdom, he himself is dressed in a canonical costume and an ermine coat, due to the kings, and holds
a palm branch (another symbol of martyrdom) in his left hand. He is accompanied by two angels (putti): the left one holds a sceptre, an attribute of royalty, and the right one, with
a breviary and a biretta, has a finger on his lips, symbolizing the seal of confession. The side sculptures depict patron saints of the altar: John the Baptist with a shepherd's staff and John the Evangelist holding a chalice with a venomous snake.
Altar of St. Adalbert
St. Adalbert lived in the 10th century and was a Czech Benedictine and Bishop of Prague. His main merit was his missionary activity – among the Slovaks, Hungarians, Pomeranians, and finally Prussians who killed him for his faith. It is precisely these facts – bishopric, missionary and martyrdom – that are associated with the iconography of the altar that was dedicated to him. The saint holds a cross of the metropolitan and archbishop. One of the angels (putti) kneeling at his feet holds a symbol of Adalbert's journey to Prussia – an oar, which according to legend was used to stun him. Side sculptures in turn depict other saints-martyrs: St. Stanislaus, just like Adalbert, one of the patron saints of Poland and St. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The first one looks down on the head of Peter. He was resurrected through prayers of the saint to testify to the legality of the transaction before King Boleslaus the Bold. The second one is depicted with a sword in his head, which refers to his death in the cathedral – the knights of King Henry II, whose manipulations were stigmatized, struck a blow to his temple.
