The Gothic church of Our Lady in Summo against the background of the cathedral i

Churches

Church of Our Lady in Summo

The Gothic church of Our Lady in Summo stands on Ostrów Tumski, next to the cathedral. It was consecrated on 2 July 1448. In the 10th century the chapel of Mieszko I's palace stood on this site.

History

According to tradition a pre-Romanesque chapel was raised around 965 by Dobrawa, the wife of Mieszko I, who was a Christian before his baptism. It was the oldest church in the Poznań stronghold and probably in the whole Piast state.

Around 1430 the old church was demolished and a new, Gothic one began to be built. It was consecrated by Bishop Andrzej of Bnin.

Since 1999 archaeological research under Prof. Hanna Kóčka-Krenz has been going on around the church, uncovering remains of the palace complex of Mieszko I.

What to see

Polychrome painting, stained glass and a high altar designed by Prof. Wacław Taranczewski after 1954.

Next to the church lies the Genius Loci Archaeological Reserve, which organises visits to the church and its surroundings.

Sources (in Polish)

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