The complex still has the original spatial and architectural qualities. Inside, there are fittings dating from the 2nd half of the 18th century. The church is one of the few churches which feature a false barrel vault. It is also notable for sections of the original wall paintings from the years 1750-1760, extended in 1895.

History

The history of the village goes back to the 14th century, when it was owned by the Grzymalita family and subsequently the Skaławski, Słucki, Bninski, and Ostrowski families.

The first church in the village was built in the 15th century; it was an initiative by Przecław Grzymalita. In 1563, the church was taken over by Protestants; it was returned to Catholics in 1595.

The present Baroque church, dedicated to St Casimir, was founded in the years 1737-1738 by Marcin Skaławski, treasurer of Poznań, and his son-in-law, Kazimierz Słucki, starosta [head] of Gniewkowo, who also fitted out the church and financed the construction of a music gallery and the execution of paintinings between 1750 and 1760. In 1784, Ignacy Bninski commissioned Józef Rossa to renovate the wall base and the brick wall infill and to construct a tomb of the Bninski family by the sacristy. In 1834, the old tower was replaced with the present tower, financed by Seweryn Ostrowski and Elżbieta Ostrowski née Bninski. The church was renovated twice — in 1895 and in the years 1991-2006.

Description

Gułtowy is a village located in Równina Wrzesińska [Września Plain], 28 km to the east of Poznań. The parish church is situated on a small hill in the eastern part of the village, on a parcel enclosed with a wall.

The church is oriented towards the east. It has a rectangular floor plan. The chancel, narrower than the nave, terminates in a semi-hexagon; it is adjoined by a porch and a sacristy on the north side. Above the sacristy, on the first floor, there is a founder’s loge. On the west side, there is a tall quadrangular tower covered with weatherboards, with a porch at the ground floor level. The main body of the church is covered with a gable roof; the chancel is covered with a lower, multi-plane roof. The sacristy roof merges with the chancel roof. The porch has a three-plane roof and the tower is topped with a cupola surmounted by a sphere and a cross. All roofs are covered with wood shingles.

The church has a wooden frame structure; only the tower has a post-and-frame structure. The nave and chancel walls have a double structure: the inner part has a log structure covered with weatherboards and the outer part has a frame structure with brick infill.

Inside, there is a false barrel vault. The nave is flanked by two narrow aisles, separated by means of wooden columns. The walls are covered with colourful paintings founded by Kazimierz Słucki and executed between 1750 and 1760. The paintings were restored in 1895 and conserved in 1957 (by Stanisław Poznański).

The Baroque and Rococo fittings of the church come from the 2nd half of the 18th century. The main altar incorporates a painting of Mary with Child from the 2nd half of the 17th century, adorned with metal crowns and two plaques from the 18th century, being votive offerings (which indicates that the painting used to be an object of worship).

The church is open to visitors. More information, including the Holy Mass schedule, is available on the website of the Poznań Archdiocese: www.archpoznan.pl

compiled by Radomiła Banach, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 26-08-2015.

Bibliography

• J. Łukaszewicz, Krótki opis historyczny kościołów parochialnych w dawnej diecezji poznańskiej, Poznań 1858, t.I, s.384-5.
• Drewniane kościoły w Wielkopolsce, koncepcja, teksty i wybór fotografii P. Maluśkiewicz, Poznań 2004, s. 88-9.
• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, t. V, z. 24: powiat średzki, Warszawa 1964, s. 6-7.
• Miejsca i obiekty kultu w Wielkopolsce, Poznań 1996, WOSiOŚK, s.62