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Travel Date: 2023/03/24 ~ 04/12
Gniezno: 2023/04/04
On the second day of our trip, we made our first stop in Gniezno. Despite being a small town, it holds immense historical value. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Gniezno served as the first capital of Poland. Yesterday, we visited Poznań and later today, we will be heading to Bydgoszcz, followed by our visit to Toruń tomorrow.
The weather during our travel is quite cold, with temperatures dropping below freezing in the morning. It's so chilly that it feels as if our muscles are frozen, making it difficult to even speak.
Gniezno is located in central-western Poland, approximately 50 kilometers east of Poznań. As of 2021, it has a population of 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The city has great historical significance as one of the chief cities of the Piast dynasty. In the 10th and early 11th centuries, it served as the first historical capital of Poland and is mentioned in 10th-century sources, possibly including the Dagome Iudex, as the capital of Piast Poland.
Gniezno is also renowned as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gniezno, the oldest archdiocese in the country, founded in 1000. The archbishop of Gniezno holds the title of the primate of Poland, making the city the ecclesiastical capital of the country. Additionally, Gniezno serves as the administrative seat of Gniezno County (powiat).
As one of the historic centers of the Greater Poland region, Gniezno is considered the birthplace of the Polish state. The city is built on seven hills, akin to Rome, with notable ones including Lech Hill, where the Gniezno Cathedral is located, and Panieńskie Hill, which is home to the Rynek (Market Square). Gniezno also boasts the presence of five lakes within its city limits, namely Winiary, Jelonek, Świętokrzyskie, Koszyk, and Zacisze.
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Gniezno Cathedral & Gniezno Door
The Royal Gniezno Cathedral, officially known as the Primatial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Shrine of St. Adalbert (Bazylika Archikatedralna Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny i Sanktuarium św. Wojciecha), is a magnificent example of Brick Gothic architecture situated in the historic city of Gniezno. It holds great significance as the place where several Polish monarchs were coronated and has served as the continuous seat of Polish church officials for nearly 1000 years. Despite enduring a long and tumultuous history, the cathedral has managed to remain largely intact, making it one of Poland's oldest and most treasured religious monuments.
One of the notable features of the cathedral is its twelfth-century two-winged bronze doors, known as the Gniezno Doors (Drzwi Gnieźnieńskie). These doors are adorned with eighteen bas-relief scenes depicting the life and martyrdom of St. Adalbert (Wojciech), whose remains were acquired for their weight in gold and brought back to the cathedral to be enshrined. The cathedral itself is of Gothic architecture, predating the doors as they were carried over from an earlier temple. Created around 1175 during the reign of Mieszko III the Old, the Gniezno Doors are considered one of the most significant works of Romanesque art in Poland.
The left door, when facing the reliefs from outside the cathedral, stands at a height of 328 cm and is 84 cm wide, while the right door measures 323 cm in height and 83 cm in width. Both doors have a thickness ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 cm. They were cast in bronze using the lost wax casting technique, employing a mixture of copper and tin with a small amount of lead. Finer details were added after casting through the use of engraving tools. The left leaf was cast as a single piece, while the right leaf was made from 24 cast sections that were later soldered together. The lion-headed knockers, though not perfectly aligned, were also cast separately and soldered onto the doors.
The Gniezno Cathedral and its Gniezno Doors are recognized as one of Poland's national Historical Monuments (Pomnik historii), a designation received on September 16, 1994. Their preservation and historical significance are closely monitored by the National Heritage Board of Poland.
Medieval seal of Gniezno
Gniezno has a rich history dating back to ancient times. Archaeological evidence indicates human settlement in the area since the late Paleolithic era. Early Slavonic settlements on Lech Hill and Maiden Hill can be traced back to the 8th century. During the 10th century, Gniezno held significant religious importance as a sacred site in the Slavic religion.
Around 940, Gniezno became a prominent fortress and pagan cult center under the early Piast rulers. It was one of the main strongholds alongside other fortresses such as Giecz, Kruszwica, Poznań, Kalisz, Łęczyca, Ostrów Lednicki, Płock, and Włocławek. Archaeological excavations conducted in 2010 on Lech Hill revealed an 11th-century tomb near the remains of a previously discovered pagan burial mound. These discoveries suggest that Lech Hill may have served as a burial place for rulers even before the baptism of Mieszko I, the first historical ruler of Poland. After Mieszko I adopted Christianity, his son Bolesław I the Brave built a church on the hill and enshrined the remains of Saint Adalbert there, emphasizing Gniezno's significance as a religious center and the capital of the kingdom.
In the year 1000, the Congress of Gniezno took place, during which Bolesław I the Brave, the Duke of Poland, received Holy Roman Emperor Otto III. This congress celebrated the foundation of the Polish ecclesiastical province (archbishopric) in Gniezno. The Gniezno Cathedral, which dates back to the 10th century, witnessed the royal coronations of Bolesław I in 1024 and his son Mieszko II Lambert in 1025.
In 1038, Gniezno, along with nearby Poznań, was captured, plundered, and destroyed by the Bohemian duke Bretislav I, leading subsequent Polish rulers to relocate the capital to Kraków. The archepiscopal cathedral was reconstructed under the rule of Bolesław II the Generous, who was crowned king in Gniezno in 1076.
Over the centuries, Gniezno evolved as a regional seat in the eastern part of Greater Poland. In 1238, it was granted municipal autonomy by Duke Władysław Odonic. Gniezno continued to serve as a coronation site, with coronations taking place in 1295 and 1300.
The historical significance of Gniezno and its role in the early Polish state make it a city of great importance in Polish history.
Museum of the Beginnings of Poland
The Museum of the Beginnings of the Polish State in Gniezno offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the history of Poland in the early Middle Ages, as well as the history of Gniezno and its surroundings. The museum showcases a wide range of valuable exhibits, including a significant collection of Baroque and Renaissance stove tiles, 19th-century paintings, and fragments of equipment from the Gniezno Cathedral.
The museum features both permanent and temporary exhibitions, providing visitors with a comprehensive understanding of the early Polish state. One of the most captivating exhibitions is "The Beginning of the Polish State," which was officially opened in 1983. This exhibition boasts over 500 artifacts, including a reconstruction of the wooden fortress of Gniezno from the 10th century, architectural details from the Gniezno Cathedral, and objects related to the religion and daily life of the first Piasts. Additionally, visitors can explore elements of old military equipment.
In addition to the main exhibition, the museum also hosts other captivating displays such as "Gniezno in the Olden Days," "The Armory in Old Poland," and "The Piasts Painted History." These exhibitions further enhance the visitor's understanding of the historical and cultural context of the first Piasts.
To enrich the museum experience, an audiovisual performance is available, allowing visitors to delve deeper into the history and culture of the early Piasts. The museum offers a fascinating journey through time, showcasing the beginnings of the Polish state and the significance of Gniezno in shaping the nation's history.
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