St Rosalia's Chapel in Sławno

On top of a former hillfort, among the old trees of a village cemetery, stands a dark wooden chapel with a tall tower crowned by a lantern cupola. St Rosalia's Chapel in Sławno (Kiszkowo municipality, near Gniezno) dates from 1785 and has kept its Baroque interior, including one particularly telling detail: cherubs leaning on skulls and holding hourglasses.

History

The parish in Sławno is first mentioned in 1348, but the hilltop chapel was funded much later by Father Józef Sztolzman, who lies in the crypt under the chancel. Beneath the nave is a second crypt belonging to the Chełmicki family, the last owners of Sławno. The hill itself is the remains of an early medieval conical hillfort, and the cemetery around the chapel was laid out around the mid-19th century; the oldest surviving gravestone dates from 1857. The chapel was restored in 1930 and 1980 – during the second restoration its original slate roof was replaced with wooden shingles.

What to see

The chapel is built of horizontal logs, while the tower has a post-and-beam frame. A rectangular nave, a narrower three-sided chancel and a lower porch form a compact building clad in vertical boards. Inside, look out for:

• the flat ceiling divided by battens into panels painted with garlands and rosettes – the same motif runs along the walls and the rood beam,
• the main altar of 1785 with a painting of St Rosalia,
• side altars with figures of the Virgin Mary (north) and St Teresa (south),
• on the rood beam, a carving of St Barbara flanked by two cherubs resting on skulls and holding hourglasses – a Baroque reminder of how fleeting life is, entirely fitting for a cemetery chapel.

Practical information

The chapel belongs to St Nicholas's parish in Sławno and has no regular opening hours. You can see the outside free of charge while visiting the cemetery; to go inside, contact the parish in advance. 20–30 minutes is enough on site. This is a working cemetery, so please keep quiet and explain the rules to children before you go in. An avenue of old trees leads up the hill.

Getting there and nearby

Sławno lies in Gniezno County, about 35 km north-east of Poznań and about 20 km from Gniezno. A car or bike is the easiest way to get there. The chapel is easily confused with St Nicholas's parish church, which stands elsewhere in the village – head for the cemetery on the hill in the eastern part of Sławno.

Sławno is one of the stops on the trail of wooden churches around the Zielonka Forest. Nearby you'll find wooden churches in Kiszkowo, Łagiewniki Kościelne and Jabłków, and further on in Wierzenica. A dozen or so kilometres away, near Waliszewo, stands the Innkeeper sculpture from the Trail of Myths and Legends.

Tripto tip

The best view of the chapel and its tower is from the avenue leading up the hill, as the building appears between the trees. If you want to see the interior, call the parish a few days ahead or come around the time of a service.