Ostrów Tumski in Poznań

You might remember that some time ago I have already taken you to a place called Ostrów Tumski. This was the cathedral island in Wrocław. Today, I will take you to yet another Ostrów Tumski but this time in Poznań. And I am sure you will not be surprised by the most important building there.

The cathedral is devoted to Saint Peter and Paul and nowadays looks like that.

I said nowadays because the cathedral was almost entirely destroyed during World War II and the authorities decided to rebuild it in a mixture of style with prevailing gothic influences. But the first Pre-Romanesque cathedral that was completed towards the end of the tents century was much more modest. It was dedicated to Saint Peter and was a three-nave, two-choir basilica with an apse to the East.

In the twelfth century the basilica was rebuilt in the Romanesque style , retaining the shape of the earlier building and using its foundation as parts of the walls. It remained a three-nave basilica, most likely with a transept and an elongated central apse, closed to the West by two towers.

Finally, in the thirteenth century one of the bishops started a reconstruction of the cathedral due to sever cracks in the walls. It took two centuries to complete the Gothic cathedral (currently reconstructed), with its ring of chapels.

Let's enter inside. In front of the main entrance you will find two keys from the coat of arms of Poznań.

Inside the cathedral, you will immediately notice the high gothic arches.

In the back comes the organ and stained-glass windows.

As I told you, the cathedral is surrounded by a ring of chapels. The best known is the Golden Chapel.

It was designed in the Byzantine style.

But the most important reason why Ostrów Tumski in Poznań is such an important place is that this is one of the birthplaces of Polish state and the Christianity in Poland.

This is where Mieszko I, the first Christian ruler of Poland had one of his castles. Or what was considered to be a castle at that time. Until today, the remainings  of his tomb are in Ostrów Tumski. They are not too impressive but remember that Mieszko has died over a thousand years ago.

Much like his father Mieszko, Boleslaw the Brave (Chrobry) was buried in the centre of the nave on the church’s axis. The coffin use to be housed in a stone chamber covered with a thick mortar stab and surrounded by a stone fence. Today only a part of this fence remains.

To be honest, the historian and archaeologists still argue if the first rulers of Poland were really buried in Ostrów Tumski. But I think it was really nice to imagine that they were. Now we say goodbye to the Poznań cathedral.

Now let's cross the bridge of the bishop Jordan and take a deeper dive in the history of the place.