8 Kolobrzeska, Bydgoszcz, Poland
The cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Włocławek was the main temple of the bishops of Kuyavia and then Włocławek. It was built as one of the first gothic cathedrals in the Polish state. Within its walls there are many unique works of art that testify to the foundational activity of bishops, members of the cathedral chapter and Kujawy families from the Middle Ages to the present day. The cathedral is located on a small hill at the estuary of Poszowiączka to the Vistula and is a landscape dominant in the old town of Włocławek. The cathedral in Włocławek attracts attention with beautiful polychromes made in the years 1900-1901 and slightly newer stained glass windows in the presbytery by Józef Mehoffer. The temple is decorated with numerous sculptures, among which the distinguishing feature is the red marble tombstone of Bishop Piotr of Bnin, made by Wit Stoss himself in 1494. Other interesting monuments are the Renaissance tombstones of local bishops, a wooden figure of the Mother of God from the beginning of the 15th century, a polychrome group of the Last Supper from 1505, the Great Tum Cross from the beginning of the 17th century, a painting of the Assumption of the Mother of God from 1475, a seven-branched candelabrum with 1596 and 17th-century baroque stalls. In addition to the listed valuable monuments, the cathedral also has many other works of art and numerous tombstones. The beautiful side chapels, built in stages around the church from the mid-15th century, deserve attention. Some of the chapels and the porch were added only in the 19th century to achieve symmetry in the temple plan. Two church towers were also expanded, initially reaching the roof, later raised by two storeys. The history of the cathedral in Włocławek dates back to 1411, when it was consecrated.
