8 Kolobrzeska, Bydgoszcz, Poland
The Rotunda of Saint Nicholas in Cieszyn is the oldest and most valuable monument in the Cieszyn Region. It is the only Romanesque rotunda in Poland preserved along with the nave vault. The rotunda of St. Nicholas from the 11th or 12th century served as the castle chapel and the castle church. Due to the thickness of the walls and a narrow window opening, it also had a defensive function. The rotunda was built of flat limestone blocks on a circular plan with a horseshoe apse. The height of the nave is 13 meters, the apses are 6.8 meters, and the total height of the rotunda is about 15 meters. The entrance portal was located on the west side of the nave. Inside, in the northern, specially thickened part of the nave, a single-flight staircase leading to the gallery was placed in the wall thickness. It has survived from the original Cieszyn castle to the present day, the so-called, Piast tower, Romanesque rotunda, remains of the walls of the ground floor of the gatehouse, relics of the 16th-century kitchen and the lower part of the corner, round tower. The Rotunda of St. Nicholas is one of the oldest and most valuable monuments of Polish architecture. It presents a very high level both in terms of construction technique and spatial program.
Please note that ITS-Poland works with groups only (10 participants and more).
