The object of study is the complex of the Carmelite monastery with the Church of St. Leonard in Lviv. Construction of the complex began in the first half of the 17th century (from 1624) according to the design of Italian architect Ambrose Prikhilny. From the very beginning, the monastery was surrounded by fortifications. The complex was located in the Galician suburbs and was supposed to be a key element of the city's defense system on the southern side. The aim of the study is to analyze the history of the architectural development of the monastery and reconstruct the nature of its defensive elements.
As a result of the study, two main stages of construction of defensive structures were identified. In the first stage, in the 1620s and 1630s, the defensive walls of the Lviv Carmelite monastery probably had an architectural design similar to the defensive walls of the center of Zhovkva and the castle in Stare Selo, which were also designed by architect Prykhylny. This could have been a two- or three-tiered wall with wooden battle galleries. During the second stage in the 1670s, there was a radical change in the nature of the fortifications. In the southern and partly eastern parts of the monastery grounds, a large rampart with casemates was built. It was the part of a new bastion line of fortifications designed by Danish architect Jan Berens. The new Galician gate was erected in the body of the rampart next to the monastery. It was designed by Berens in a very specific way. The gate was not built perpendicular to the line of the rampart (as is traditionally seen in the ramparts of Palma Nova or Zamość), but entered the rampart at an angle. The approaches to the gate were additionally protected by a ravelin. Apparently, the slanted geometry of the gate, bridge, and entrance road was deliberately designed to effectively defeat attackers with flanking fire from the monastery ramparts. The work presents a hypothetical reconstruction of the planning structure of the monastery's fortifications for the first and second periods. Unfortunately, the monastery buildings were demolished at the end of the 19th century, with the exception of one cell block. In the past, it was the largest and best-fortified monastery in Lviv, so information about its defense system is important for studying the history of the city's architecture.
Bevz M., Okonchenko I., 2000. Research of planning characteristics and stylistic features of the projects of bastion fortifications of Lviv of the 17th century. Bulletin of the National University “Lviv Polytechnic”. Architecture. - Lviv, NULP. - №410.-С. 53-62.
Boyko O., Slobodyan V., 2006. From the history of the Latin monasteries of Lviv. "Visnyk Ukrzakhidproektrestavratsiya", Nr16.
Vechersky V., 2025. Prykhylny, Amvrosy // Great Ukrainian Encyclopedia. URL: https://vue.gov.ua/
Dolynska, M., 2015. Lviv. Space against the background of residents. Publishing House of the Ukrainian Catholic University, p. 100-110, 140-141.
Zubrytskyi D., 2006. Chronicle of the City of Lviv. Lviv: Tsentr Europy.
Ivanochko U., 2004. Urban transformations of Lviv during the Austrian period (1772–1918) / Architecture: [collection of scientific papers] (Bulletin of the National University "Lviv Polytechnic"; No. 505). - Lviv. - p. 178-188.
Kapral M., 2013. Lviv. Historical and Architectural Atlas. Lviv. Colves.
Kniazia Romana, 2015. A street over six centuries long. History in 12 images. [online] available: https://photo-lviv.in.ua/knyazya-romana-vulytsya-dovzhynoyu-u-ponad-shist-stolit-istoriya-u-12-zobrazhennyah/ [accessed 20.07.2025].
Kniazia Romana, 2024. [online] available: https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/vulytsia_kniazia _Romana_Lviv. 03.11.2024. [accessed 20.07.2025]
Kramarchuk Kh. Hypothetical reconstruction of the complex of the Carmelite monastery of Cherevichkov in Lviv. Diploma project. 1996. Supervisors: Yu. Dubyk, M. Dolynska. Archive of the Department of Architecture and Restoration.
Linda S. Architecture of Lviv during the historicism period: patterns and specifics of development // Architecture. Bulletin of the National University “Lviv Polytechnic”. – Lviv: NULP, 1999. - №375. – С. 76-86.
Melnyk, B., 2006. Through the streets of ancient Lviv. Lviv: Svit, p. 196-210.
Tregubova T., Mykh R., 1989. Lviv. Historical and architectural essay. – Lviv.
Bevz M., Dubyk Y., 2023. Największy, ale mało znany klasztor Lwowa: wizerunek architektoniczny kompleksu dawnego konwentu oo. Karmelitów Trzewiczkowych // Teka Komisji Architektury, Urbanistyki i Studiów Krajobrazowych - Polska Akademia Nauk. Oddział w Lublinie.- vol. 19, nr 2, s. 58-74.
Chodynicki, 1829. Historia stołecznego królestw Galicyi i Lodomeryi miasta Lwowa od założenia jego aż do czasów teraznieyszych. Nakładem Karóla Bogusława Pfaffa, Lwów, s. 383-384.
Czerner O., 1997. Lwow na dawnej rycinie I planie. Wroclaw-Warszawa–Krakow. Zaklad Narodowy imienia Ossolinskich, 1997. 133 s., 269 il.
Desfilles, 1766. Jean Ignace du Desfilles, 1766. Plan of the city, castles and suburbs of Lviv, 1766. Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine (CSDIAL). Lviv. Fund 742/description 1/case 980). [online] Available: https://uma.lvivcenter.org/uk/maps/34535 [accessed 20.07.2025].
Josephowic, J.T., 2023. Joannes Thomas Josephowic. Leopoliensis Archiepiscopatus Historia (1614-1700). Translated by M. Kapral. Compiled by M. Kapral, I. Klymenko. Lviv Historical Works. Sources. Issue 11. Lviv, 2023.
Kratochwill, 1844. (Kratochwill), (Radaichich), (Krankowich). (from collection: R. Hubish) 1844. [online] Available: https://uma.lvivcenter.org/uk/maps/34441
Pintershoffen A., 1780. Plan of the monastery on the plan of the city of Lviv (Lemberg) from 1780 by engineer Anton v Pinterhoffen (Author of the plan Franz d'Ertel. Austrian Military Archives, Vienna - Gih 371-1). Available: (https://uma.lvivcenter.org/uk/maps/34505).
Skrzyszewski L., 1863. Rysunek: więzienie w klasztorze Karmelitow Trzewiczkowych. Lwow. 1863. Fras E. 1999. S. 133. [online] Available at: https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/kostel Vidviadannia Marii I monastyr Karmeleitiv (vzutych). Dostęp: 15.10.2023.
Tomkiewicz W., 1971. Dzieje obwarowań miejskich Lwowa, Część II: Janusz Witwicki, Obwarowania śródmieścia Lwowa, art. zesz. 2-3. Kwartalnik Architektury i Urbanistyki Warszawa.
Witwicki J., 1971. Obwarowania śródmieścia miasta Lwowa i ich przemiany do XVIII w., Część I: w: Kwartalnik Architektury i Urbanistyki. Warszawa.
Wagner M., 2025. Brothers Berens. A contribution to the history of Polish Lutheranism in the 17th century. https://bibliotekanauki.pl/articles/517712.