The reconstruction of St. Adalbert’s Church
The Church of St. Adalbert in Zawodzie was long considered in scholarly literature to be the oldest, or one of the oldest churches in Kalisz. Of course, in the scholarly analysis, the church’s characteristic invocation was primarily taken into account. This situation changed with the discovery, beneath the relics of the Romanesque collegiate church of St. Paul on the stronghold site, of the remains of a wooden church dating back to the 10th/11th or early 11th century. It seems that it was precisely the wooden church located in the stronghold that was the oldest sanctuary in Kalisz.
Church of St. Adalbert according to E. Stawecki’s drawing from 1858.
Archaeological research helped to determine the time of the foundation of the Church of St. Adalbert. The research was conducted in two stages. In 1958, Krzysztof Dąbrowski led the work, focusing on the exterior of the church. Numerous burials from the cemetery surrounding the church were uncovered. Remains of earlier settlement structures were also discovered, which in the literature were imprecisely dated to the 10th/11th or 10th-12th century.
Burials uncovered in an excavation inside the church in 2017 (photo by A. Kędzierski)
Simultaneously, during the excavation, a Romanesque tombstone with a representation of the cross as the Tree of Life was found, which was reused as a threshold at the entrance to the church. In subsequent scholarly literature, it was identified as the presumed tombstone of Mieszko III, originating from the collegiate church of St. Paul.
Romanesque tombstone associated with the burial of Mieszko III the Old (photo by A. Kędzierski)
Simultaneously, during the excavation, a Romanesque tombstone with a representation of the cross as the Tree of Life was found, which was reused as a threshold at the entrance to the church. In subsequent scholarly literature, it was identified as the presumed tombstone of Mieszko III, originating from the collegiate church of St. Paul.
Further research was conducted in 2017-2018 in connection with the renovation of the church and the replacement of the floor. The work was led successively by Adam Kędzierski and Dariusz Wyczółkowski from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Excavations were carried out inside the temple and near the bell tower. As a result of the work, it was determined that the current church building, erected in 1798 and expanded in 1894, was built on the site of an earlier cemetery. No traces of the earlier church were found.
Further research was conducted in 2017-2018 in connection with the renovation of the church and the replacement of the floor. The work was led successively by Adam Kędzierski and Dariusz Wyczółkowski from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Excavations were carried out inside the temple and near the bell tower. As a result of the work, it was determined that the current church building, erected in 1798 and expanded in 1894, was built on the site of an earlier cemetery. No traces of the earlier church were found.
Archaeological excavations of the cemetery near the church in 2018 (photo by A. Kędzierski)
Archaeological excavations near the Church of St. Adalbert from 1959, 2017, 2018 (compiled by D. Wyczółkowski)
At the same time, traces of an early medieval settlement were uncovered. These were primarily remnants of objects and cultural layers with characteristic ceramics dating back to the 11th-12th century. During the excavations, artifacts were also found that allowed the identification of the presence of the earliest settlement phase from the 10th century. These included fragments of ceramic vessels and remnants of a larger silver deposit consisting of dirhams, dating to around the mid-10th century.
Sanctuary (chancel) in the Church of St. Adalbert
In total, 13 coin fragments were found, of which 8 were identified as Samanid emissions from the first half of the 10th century. Subsequent research on the sources related to the church established that the church was probably built only in the 13th century or at the earliest at the end of the 12th century. Contrary to earlier opinions expressed in the literature, it was never a parish church.
Dariusz Wyczółkowski
© MOZK 2024 | BEVEL STUDIO