Gnezno. St. Michael's Church.

The ancient Church of St. Michael has a rich history. The first mention of Gniezno was in 1449. The church was built in 1524 on the site of a wooden church built here in 1121.  The owners of the church in Gniezno were Jan and Elzbieta Shemetovichi, who allocated funds for its construction on their estate.  The temple was built of red brick using a special technology of laying bricks. It had a decorated tower with a height of 25 meters, and buttresses along the perimeter of the building.

Upon completion of construction, the church was consecrated in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. A tomb was organized in the basement of the temple for the graves of the owners of Gniezno and other famous people. At the beginning of the 20th century, the necropolis was walled up.

In the middle of the 16th century, the church was used as a Calvinist cathedral. Since 1643, it has become Catholic again. A fire that occurred in 1838 seriously damaged the church. It was rebuilt for six years and restored for a long time, trying to preserve its original appearance.

The Church of St. Michael steadfastly survived all the wars and the destruction associated with them, and then gradually recovered. It was often used as a fortress, where the local population hid.  The very low entrance to the church and the narrowness of the tower space confirm that this church belongs to defensive structures.

During the Soviet years, the church was abandoned for a long time and gradually destroyed.

At the end of the 20th century, Priest Louis began to restore it. He managed to restore the building of the old church, as well as collect historical documents and evidence.

Today we see a massive stone fence around the church, which was built for the 400th anniversary of the church. There is a cemetery on the territory, where tombstones of the 19th and early 20th centuries have been preserved.

Restraint and modesty of forms are noticeable in the architecture of the church. The interior is plastered, the floor is lined with terracotta tiles. The altar is made in the Neo-Gothic style. At the entrance to the church there is a beautiful massive wooden door, which indicates the year of construction of the church, the year of reconstruction, the year of installation of the door.

This ancient and unique temple is a must-visit, it is extremely interesting for its history, architecture and interior decoration.