The Farny Catholic Church, or the Jesuit Catholic Church, or the Catholic Church of the Holy Body of God is one of the first Baroque churches in Europe.

The Farny Catholic Church is a monument of early Baroque architecture, the first Baroque church in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's territory and the second in Europe. The church houses the ancestral tomb of the Radzivil Princes. The construction of the church began in 1587. The building was designed by a famous Italian architect – Jan Maria Bernardoni. The construction was funded by the owner of Niasviž – Prince Mikalaj Radzivil Sirotka, son of the leader of the Belarusian Reformation, Mikalaj Radzivil Čorny. In 1569, Sirotka renounced his parents' faith and converted to Catholicism. Initially, the church was the property of the Jesuits who lived in Niasviž, and only then it became the burial place of the representatives of the Radzivil family. After the abolition of the Jesuit order at the end of the 17th century, the church became the main Catholic parish church. There is the tomb of the Radzivils in the underground part of the church. It contains 71 sarcophagi, as well as a number of burials in wall niches. The last burial took place here in 2000. There is a bell tower not far from the church. Being an architectural monument, the Catholic Church of the Holy Body of God has world cultural and historical value, which is evidenced by the UNESCO memorial sign installed here in April 2007.

Publication date: 24.11.2017.

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