The expansive park which features a rather interesting hydrological network is one of the most striking examples of landscape design of the era anywhere in Greater Poland.

History

The palace itself was erected in the early 19th century by Józef Grabowski. Later on, the palace was acquired by the Martini family; hailing from Germany, they saw it fit to redesign the palace to their own liking, which they eventually did in 1877. The granary was erected in the early 19th century, most likely after 1823. The landscape park was established in the early 19th century as well, although its layout was subsequently altered before the mid-19th century.

Between 1831 and 1859, Franciszek Mickiewicz, a November Uprising veteran and brother to the poet Adam Mickiewicz, resided at the Grabowski residence; Adam Mickiewicz himself came to visit in 1831. After his death, Franciszek Mickiewicz was buried in a cemetery by the Parish church in the nearby village of Rożnowo. The fact of Adam Mickiewicz’s visit is commemorated by a memorial plaque embedded in the front façade of the palace.

Description

The palace complex in Łukowo is located in the western part of the village, north of the road leading from Murowana Goślina to Oborniki. The palace itself, located west of the granary which stands on the shores of an artificial pond, is surrounded by an expansive landscape park which spreads out towards the west.

The Renaissance Revival palace is a brick building with plastered walls (only the basement section features exposed brick walls); the roof is covered with roofing felt. Designed on a rectangular floor plan, the palace is a two-storey building with a tall basement and a low hip roof. The front and rear (garden) façades, following a nine- and eight-axis design respectively, feature pseudo-avant-corps projecting from the centre of each respective façade. Each pseudo-avant-corps is crowned with a triangular pediment incorporating lavish sculptural detailing, with acroterions adorning the centre and sides of each pediment. The front avant-corps follows a three-axis design on the ground floor level, where the entrance is located, and a two-axis design on the first floor level. The avant-corps which faces the garden follows a two-axis design throughout, with decorative rustication on the ground floor level. The side façades follow a three-axis design and feature decorative tondi on the first floor level, between the windows. Both the corners of the building and of both of its avant-corps feature projecting rusticated quoins, with two-dimensional rustication being applied to the façades at the ground floor level. The windows are rectangular in shape; the windows in the avant-corps are topped with semicircular arches and framed by a joint surround. Other windows of the palace also feature decorative surrounds, with the first-floor windows being topped with triangular pediments supported by small corbels. The avant-corps is an exception in this regard since a segmental cornice was used above its windows instead of the pediments found elsewhere at this level. The palace is divided horizontally into the pronounced basement-level foundations with their exposed brick walls and the individual levels of the facade, separated by friezes upon which the window sills on both levels of the buildings seem to rest. The mezzanine level features tiny attic windows and a dentilled crowning cornice. The doors are set into the recessed portico. Stone steps flanked by solid balustrades lead towards the main entrance, with slightly lower steps leading into the lower, side section of the palace. A low brick wall separates the driveway from the foundations of the palace. The entrance door is of a frame-and-panel type and features a decorative astragal. The tympanum facing the garden incorporates the date 1877.

A single-storey wing was added to one of the sides of the palace; covered with a flat roof, this wing is topped with a panelled roof parapet with an angled avant-corps projecting from the corner of the wing towards the garden. The front façade of the wing follows a three-axis design, with the entrance located on the first axis; this entrance features an elaborate projecting portal crowned with a triangular pediment. The entrance to the basement is located left of this entrance. The side façade follows a four-axis design, with a door leading to the balcony positioned on the second axis. A large window can be seen right next to it, on the third axis, while the left- and rightmost windows are much smaller by comparison. The façade of the side extension which faces the garden follows a two-axis design and features a single-axis avant-corps with a pair of pilasters topped with ornate capitals. The entrance door is of a frame-and-panel type and features a decorative astragal. A decorative wrought-iron grate is incorporated into the transom light. The floor is covered with ceramic tiles.

The granary was erected on an elongated rectangular floor plan; it is a brick building positioned on tall stone foundations. The building is a three-storey structure with wooden ceilings and roof truss, its half-hip roof with hips at the western and eastern ends being clad with roof tiles. The front façade faces the south; it follows a nine-axis design, whereas the side façades have three axes each.

The expansive landscape park has a surface area of 11.5 hectares. At the core of its design is a series of ponds with a total surface area of more than 2.5 hectares, interconnected by a watercourse. The alleys which are positioned to the north and to the south of this compositional axis create a layout that has, luckily, retained its clarity until the present day.

compiled by Tomasz Łuczak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 31-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Karta ewidencyjna zabytków architektury i budownictwa, Łukowo - pałac, oprac. Kamiński Robert, 1984, Archiwum Wielkopolskiego Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków w Poznaniu.
• Karta ewidencyjna zabytków architektury i budownictwa, Łukowo - spichlerz, oprac. Kamiński Robert, 1984, Archiwum Wielkopolskiego Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków w Poznaniu.
• Ewidencja parku krajobrazowego w Łukowie, oprac. Dominas Marian, Kujawa Stanisław, Wojtycha Piotr, 1981, Archiwum Wielkopolskiego Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków w Poznaniu.