St Marcellinus Church in Rogalin

In a park near Poznań stands a Roman temple – or at least that is how it looks. The Church of St Marcellinus in Rogalin, built in 1817–1820 by Count Edward Raczyński, was modelled on the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, a temple from the 1st century BC. Beneath the Neoclassical chapel lies the Raczyński family mausoleum, with the sarcophagus of Edward Bernard Raczyński, President of Poland in exile, and a plaque behind which the founder's heart rests.

History: a temple of remembrance

The church's patron is St Marcellinus – a pope and martyr beheaded for his faith in 304 under Diocletian. The inscription DIVO MARCELLINO on the pediment means "To Saint Marcellinus", but the founder also used it to commemorate his cousin Marceli Lubomirski, a Napoleonic soldier killed during the siege of Sandomierz. Above the portal is a Latin inscription with the year 1820. Raczyński had himself served for several years in Napoleon's army – another possible inspiration was the Madeleine church in Paris, modelled on the same temple.

For more than 150 years the building served as a palace chapel – the upper storey was used as such from 1821 to 1939 – and the parish was only established in 1975. In 2021 the parish celebrated the 200th anniversary of the church's consecration and marked it by creating a network of nature-themed pilgrimage trails, the Rogalin Ways of the Holy Spirit.

What to look out for

• Cast iron instead of stone – the bases and capitals of the Corinthian columns, the door handles and the lion statues by the steps were cast in iron, according to the parish at the foundry in Gliwice. At the time this was an innovative solution.
• Two styles in one building – the upper storey is Neoclassical, the crypt Romanesque-Gothic. Raczyński himself later criticised the combination.
• The high altar from 1832, with a mosaic antependium made of the same material as the one in the Golden Chapel of Poznań Cathedral.
• The frieze of eagles facing each other in pairs with a garland – a symbol of Marceli Lubomirski's heroic spirit.
• The marble relief from 1880 by the main door, showing Eliza Krasińska with her sons.

Tripto tip

According to the parish website, the church and mausoleum can be visited from May to September on Saturdays 13:00–17:00 and on Sundays after the 12:00 Mass until 17:00. On weekdays and out of season you need to arrange a visit by phone – the parish publishes a contact number. It is an active church, so times may change around services and celebrations. Allow 30–45 minutes for the interior and the crypt. The palace and gardens in Rogalin are a separate visit – park tickets are sold at the ticket office by the palace.