In the St Catherine of Alexandria Church in Grylewo (Wągrowiec commune), conservation and restoration work has been completed on the historic door woodwork and wooden window blinds of the tower. These works, subsidised by the Government Programme for the Restoration of Monuments and the funds of the municipality of Wągrowiec and carried out by the company Linea Paweł Oleszak and Emilia Wiśniewska-Starszak’s Conservation of Monuments, are an important step in preserving the cultural heritage of the region.
The work included several sets of doors: the two-winged front door, the door to the crypt (two pairs of single-winged and one double-winged) and the door to the sacristy. The original plan was to reconstruct one door leaf leading to the sacristy, as the existing one was a secondary replacement. However, during the course of the works, the original wing was discovered in the church basement, which was also conserved and restored to its original place.
photo: WUOZ in Poznań
The wings of the door to the crypt were also reconstructed. Their appearance was reconstructed on the basis of the preserved iconographic records, using the original hinges. Stratigraphic research made it possible to establish the original colouring of the doors: green on the outside and brown (in the form of a marzipan) on the inside. Particular attention was paid to the fanlights – in the case of the front door, the coloured glazing was restored, which adds a distinctive touch to the entrance. The window louvres of the church tower, due to the very poor state of preservation of the timber, have been reconstructed along the lines of the original ones.
The front door before and after restoration. Photo: Paweł Oleszak and WUOZ in Poznań
Each element of the project was consulted during the conservation commissions with the participation of the contractor and representatives of the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Poznan. Both the colour scheme and technical details, such as the form of the aforementioned fanlight over the front door, were finally agreed upon.
Doors to the crypt before and after renovation. Photo: WUOZ in Poznań
The Church of St Catherine of Alexandria in Grylewo is a pearl of neo-Gothic architecture, built in 1861-1864 on the initiative of Antonina Grabowska, née Nieżychowska, owner of the Grylewo estate. The church, designed by the architect Wiktor Stabrowski from Kcynia, was built of red brick on a foundation of granite blocks. The whole is complemented by a wall made of ceramic bricks, surrounding the area of the church cemetery.
The entrance to the sacristy before and after the installation of the found renovated wing. Photo: WUOZ in Poznań
However, the history of this place goes back much further – the first mention of Grylewo dates back to 1213, when the village was owned by the Cistercians from Łekno. It was they who founded the first church in the village. The present church, a testament to later eras, impresses with its neo-Gothic style and high quality workmanship.
The conservation work in Grylewo is not only about restoring the original appearance of the architectural elements, but also about preserving the historical heritage for future generations. Thanks to the reconstruction of the doors and louvres of the tower, the church has regained some of its former glory, becoming an even more exceptional example of regional sacred architecture.
Source: Wielkopolska Regional Conservator of Monuments
