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Churches of Poland

Gallery: Churches of Wielkopolska Voivodeship

by Peter Kessler, 1 August 2010

Part 1: Churches of Gniezo

Gniezno Cathedral

Gniezno Cathedral is better known as the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Adalbert (Bazylika Archikatedralna Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny i św. Wojciecha in Polish). It lies at the very centre of the city of Gniezno, in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship (Greater Poland Province). One of the Piasts' chief cities, it was the first capital of Poland in the tenth century when Boleslaw the Brave forged a united state.

Gniezno Cathedral

The city's Roman Catholic Archbishop of Gniezno is the primate of Poland, putting the city on a par with Canterbury in England. The cathedral in its earliest form was built in the ninth century. Destroyed by Duke Bretislav I of Bohemia, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style by Boleslaw II of Poland, who was crowned here in 1076. Outside the cathedral, the statue of Boleslaw the Brave stands right in front of the building whilst inside is a silver relic coffin of St Wojciech.

All photos on this page kindly contributed by Piia Soon.

 

 

     
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