Reconstruction of a princely palace from the 12th-13th century
During the excavations of the Kalisz stronghold, numerous objects were registered, indicating the use of the area within the stronghold for settlement purposes. The earliest traces of dwellings can be dated to the phase associated with the reconstruction of the stronghold during the Early Piast period (10th/11th century). Remains of houses were discovered near the collegiate church. A contemporary wooden church discovered alongside the houses was located in their immediate vicinity. Of particular note is a large structure with a fireplace inside, measuring approximately 6.2 m × 4.6 m. All the revealed residential structures, along with the wooden church, are dated to the 11th century. They were located in a part of the stronghold delimited by an inner wall. It is likely that in this area one would expect to find a building intended for the prince or the princely governor managing the stronghold or the surrounding district. It is known that due to the significant importance of the Kalisz stronghold already in the 11th century, its seat undoubtedly existed within the stronghold. This is also indirectly evidenced by the discovery of a lead bulla of Iziaslav I, Prince of Turov, Novgorod, and Grand Prince of Kiev, from the second half of the 11th century. Some historians point to Kalisz as a possible place of residence for Iziaslav during his exile from Kiev when he stayed in Poland. However, for the period after the reconstruction of the stronghold and the elimination of the inner wall in its northeastern part in the early 12th century, it is difficult to determine the location of the construction of the representative building intended for the prince. So far, no traces of it have been found.
Reconstruction of the Kalisz-Zawodzie stronghold in the 12th-13th century – view from the eastern side
The most significant changes in the layout of the Kalisz stronghold occurred in the second half of the 12th century when Kalisz came under the rule of prince Mieszko III. This ambitious and politically active ruler was likely the initiator of the expansion project of the center and the establishment of a strong princely power center in Kalisz. Certainly, the reconstruction of the stronghold’s fortifications served this purpose practically. In terms of symbolic power, this intention was undoubtedly realized through investments within the stronghold and throughout the entire center. It seems that efforts were made to transform Kalisz into a model of mid-sized centers like Kruszwica or Włocławek. The second half of the 12th century marked a period of development for settlements associated with the stronghold, particularly the artisanal and trade settlement (now Kalisz-Stare Miasto). The settlement also expanded on the left bank of the Prosna valley, likely around the church of St. Gotard, probably founded by Mieszko III. Inside the stronghold, around the middle of the 12th century, the collegiate church of St. Paul was erected on the initiative of Mieszko III. Over time, his son Mieszko (d. 1193) was buried there, possibly along with another son of Mieszko the Old, Bolesław, who was killed in the battle near Mozgawa (d. 1195), and the duke himself in 1202. Presumably, in addition to the collegiate church inside the stronghold, a brick tower was erected on the western rampart as well as the princely residence – the palatium. Traces of the tower were discovered during archaeological excavations in 1961. It was built of brick and was probably intended as the last defense tower (bergfried, keep, donjon), serving simultaneously as a clear symbol of the status of the ruling duke of the stronghold. In 1965, in the excavations conducted along the southern inner rampart, layers of brick rubble and remnants of structures built using bricks were uncovered. According to the discoverers, these were the remains of buildings dating back to the 13th or even 14th century.
Stronghold from the 12th-13th centuries, along with the location of the collegiate church tower and princely palace (compiled by D. Wyczółkowski)
Taking into account the latest dating of the brick architecture of the Wrocław stronghold on Ostrow Tumski to the second half of the 12th century, it seems that in the case of the Kalisz stronghold, we can also consider the possibility of similar dating of the brick buildings found here. Unfortunately, the problem of definitively determining when the brick buildings were erected in the stronghold must be postponed until verification studies are conducted. The need for such studies seems necessary also due to the loss of part of the documentation and some of the archaeological materials related to the research of both objects. However, it seems that following Tadeusz Baranowski, we can attempt to locate the princely palatium building in the southern part of the stronghold. Its construction would be associated with the transformation of the stronghold into a modern princely residence for that time, equipped with a temple, a tower, an entrance gate with a crane lifting bridge, and a representative building as elements of the modernization of the defensive-residential wooden-earth architecture.
Dariusz Wyczółkowski
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