Basilica of the Holy Name of Mary in Inowrocław

Locals in Inowrocław still call this church "the Ruin", even though it has had a roof again for more than a century and serves as a parish church. Built of granite blocks between 1180 and 1230, it is the oldest church in the town and one of the oldest in Kuyavia. Since 2008 it has held the title of minor basilica.

History: from a synod to a fire

The church stands on a moraine hill called Biała Góra, where settlement goes back to Roman times. It was most likely founded by Duke Leszek, son of Bolesław the Curly, with income from salt production. First came the stone nave and chancel, then the brick towers. In 1233 Bishop Michael of Kuyavia held a synod here, so construction must have been finished by then.

From the 16th century the church lost importance. In 1779 the east wall of the chancel collapsed, in 1816 the church was closed, and a fire in December 1834 left it a ruin – hence the nickname. It was rebuilt in 1900–1902 to a design by Julius Kohte, who recreated the Romanesque semicircular apse. In 1980 Primate Stefan Wyszyński restored its status as a parish church.

What to see

• the twin-tower façade, granite blocks below and brick above – stone and brick come from two building phases,
• three Romanesque portals with plain tympana,
• the wide single-nave interior with a wooden ceiling and bare walls,
• a Gothic figure of the Virgin and Child from about 1370–1380, known as the Smiling Madonna, in the chancel.

Interesting facts

• The foundations were laid over five symmetrically placed skeletons – researchers link this to a cult of relics mixed with the old custom of a "building sacrifice".
• The nave is more than 12 metres wide. Some scholars think three aisles were planned; others see it as the largest European example of a so-called reduced basilica.

Tripto tip

20–40 minutes is enough to see the church inside and out. Walk all the way around the building for the details – the apse on the east side, the tower block on the west. The parish publishes its visiting rules and hours on its website – check them before you go. The church lies on Poland's Romanesque Route and combines easily with Kruszwica and Strzelno.