Basilica on the Holy Mountain near Gostyń

A copy of Venice's Santa Maria della Salute rises above the fields of Greater Poland near Gostyń. Its dome is 17 m wide and 50 m high, and it is regarded as the largest dome in Poland. Strictly speaking, the basilica and the Oratorian monastery on the Holy Mountain (Święta Góra) stand in the hamlet of Głogówko in the Piaski district, about 1.5–2 km east of Gostyń town centre. Since 2008 the complex has been a Monument of History, Poland's top heritage status.

History: a votive gift and a journey to Italy

The hill was already a place of worship in the Middle Ages, and a chapel of the Virgin Mary stood here in 1468. In 1512 Bishop Jan Lubrański of Poznań allowed a church to be built, and in 1540 an unknown painter from the region created an image of the Virgin and Child that soon gained a reputation for miracles. In 1668 Adam Konarzewski brought in the Oratorians of St Philip Neri, who still care for the sanctuary today.

The present church was meant as Konarzewski's thanks for a miraculous recovery in childhood. He died soon after, and his widow, Zofia née Opalińska, continued the work. After a trip to Italy she decided to build a replica of the Venetian church to a design by its architect, Baldassare Longhena. Work began in 1677 under Jerzy and Jan Catenazzi, the church was consecrated in 1698, and in 1726–1728 Pompeo Ferrari added the dome and lantern. The monastery was also built to his design.

What to see

• The dome – painted inside by Georg Wilhelm Neunhertz in 1746 with scenes from the life of St Philip Neri.
• The high altar of 1723–1726, by Ignacy Provisore and Johann Siegwitz of Wrocław, with the venerated image of 1540.
• The pulpit of 1756, supported by the figure of an African man, to the left of the chancel.
• The organ of 1766–1768 in the music gallery.
• A cannonball above the left side entrance – a relic of the Russian–Prussian battle near Gostyń in 1761.
• The octagonal nave with an ambulatory and six chapels, and the monastery with its cloister garth next door.

Interesting facts

In 1806 Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, stayed here. According to some sources there was a plan to kidnap the emperor in Poznań and replace him with a double – the Oratorian priest Stefan Błażewski. Polish writer Waldemar Łysiak built on this idea in his novel "Szachista" (The Chess Player). In 1876, during the Kulturkampf, the Prussian authorities dissolved the monastery, and the Oratorians only returned in 1919. Cardinal August Hlond crowned the image in 1928, and in 1971 Paul VI made the church a minor basilica.

Tripto tip

About an hour is enough for the basilica and a walk around the hill. The dome looks best from a distance, from the approach roads from Gostyń. In autumn, try to catch the Musica Sacromontana oratorio festival, held since 2006. This is a working church, so keep sightseeing to a minimum during services; Mass times are on the Oratorians' website.