Religious, Spiritual sights in Wielkopolska
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Church of St John of Jerusalem
One of the oldest brick churches in the country, this late-12th-century building was extended in the Gothic period and later acquired a baroque chapel. The interior contains beautiful Gothic star vaults, and the Romanesque doorway in the main western entrance is magnificent.
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Church of the Holy Trinity
Built a decade or two after the St Procopius' Church, the larger Church of the Holy Trinity acquired a Gothic vault in the 14th century and a baroque façade four centuries later. The interior is a remarkably harmonious composition of baroque furnishings, Gothic vaulting and four original Romanesque columns. These columns, revealed only during postwar restoration, are the most precious treasure of the church, particularly the two with elaborate figurative designs. There are 18 figures carved in each column; those on the left-hand column personify vices, while those on the right are virtues.
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St Adalbert's Church
Its 16th-century, freestanding wooden belfry is the only substantial historic wooden building in Poznań. Inside the church, the Gothic vaulting is decorated with striking Art Nouveau wall paintings. The crypt beneath, open to visitors, has become a mausoleum for the most eminent Poles from Wielkopolska, among them Józef Wybicki, who wrote the lyrics of the national anthem.
During the Christmas period, the mechanised szopka (Nativity scene) is open in the church. It includes several dozen movable figures that depict the history of the region, from Mieszko I to the present day.
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C
St Nicholas’ Church
The St Nicholas’ Church dates from the 13th century and was originally Gothic, but has been modernised several times. The painting of the Descent from the Cross over the high altar is a copy. The original, painted in Rubens’ workshop in about 1617 and donated to the church, was burnt or stolen during a mysterious fire in 1973.
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St Procopius’ Church
Built of red stone in around 1150, St Procopius’ Church has preserved its austere Romanesque form remarkably well, even though its upper part was rebuilt in brick after damage in the 18th century. The interior, almost free of decoration, looks admirably authentic. By the entrance is the original 12th-century font.
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Cathedral
Today Ostrów Tumski is a tiny, quiet ecclesiastical quarter radiating an air of history, dominated by Poznań's monumental, double-towered Cathedral . Basically Gothic with additions from later periods, most notably the baroque tops of the towers, the cathedral was badly damaged in 1945 and took 11 years to rebuild.
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Collegiate Church
The early-12th-century stone Romanesque collegiate church was altered in later periods but returned more or less to its original form during postwar restoration. The interior fittings include the 12th-century baptismal font. The church is on the northeastern outskirts of town, an 800m walk from the Rynek.
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E
Collegiate Church
The Collegiate Church is a typical example of a lavish Catholic church, built in 1353 and rebuilt in the 18th century. It boasts a baroque interior flooded with gilt and glitter and is a popular pilgrimage site thanks to an allegedly miraculous picture of the Holy Family, dating from the 17th century.
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Bernardine Church
The 1607 former Bernardine Church, now owned by the Jesuits, has a spectacular interior. It is unprepossessing from the outside, but its wide nave glows with sumptuous baroque decoration. The altars and the wall paintings on the vault date from around the mid-18th century.
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G
Franciscan Church
Just south of the castle is the richly decorated baroque Franciscan Church Its Chapel of the Virgin Mary (Kaplica NMP), in the left transept, has a carved oak altar and a tiny, reputedly miraculous image of St Mary.
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St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church was built in the mid-15th century. Just behind it is the early-16th-century Psałteria ( M0164), which was home to the choristers.
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