The oldest surviving headstones date back to the second half of the 19th century and exhibit a substantial artistic value.

History

The cemetery was founded in the early 19th century in the former parish gardens, east of the church. It is believed that originally the cemetery was limited to a single burial plot or two plots divided by a footpath. In the second half of 19th century, the cemetery had the form of a rectangle designed on a checkerboard plan. The unpaved footpaths which criss-crossed the site at right angles formed a total of six quadrangular plots. Over the years, the cemetery was gradually extended (before 1871, during the late 19th century and in 1971). Despite all the intervening changes, the oldest part of the cemetery has managed to maintain its resemblance to a rural burial ground. Initially, earthen graves were mostly used on the cemetery site. Towards the late 19th century, sandstone gravestones have started to appear, with some of them exhibiting a substantial artistic value. Most of the surviving headstones, however, are simple in terms of design, their decorations being limited to Classicist detailing. A number of eminent persons who have made an impact on both the history of Nałęczów and Poland as a whole have been interred in this cemetery, including Michał Elwiro Andriolli, Oktawia Żeromska as well as three of the founders of the local health resort - Konrad Chmielewski, Fortunat Nowicki and Wacław Lasocki, whose sepulchral monuments now rate among the most valuable ones. The grave of the lord of the manor of Nałęczów, Tytus Rakowski, is one of the oldest which survived to the present day. It was made in 1858 and was designed in the Classicist style. In general, a few dozen surviving headstones from the period before 1914 exhibit a substantial artistic value. Among the later examples, one should mention the grave of the eminent writer, Ewa Szelburg Zarembina, who died in 1989.

Description

The cemetery lies east of the church. It occupies a part of the hill whose slope leads down towards the church to the east and the north. Despite the intervening changes, its oldest part has generally been preserved intact, maintaining its character of a rural burial ground designed on a simple plan demarcated by a number of footpaths intersecting at a right angle, forming quadrangular burial plots. The cemetery is rectangular in shape, its surface being approximately 1.220 hectares. It is separated from the church and the street (located to the west and the south respectively) by a perimeter wall, with the other sides being protected by means of a wire fence. The cemetery is accessible through two gates. The main gate is located on the church side, whereas the other lies in the south-eastern corner. To the right of the gate there is a morgue constructed during the second half of the 18th century and following a simple, austere design. Some of the surviving headstones exhibit a substantial artistic value. One particularly valuable example is the family tomb of the Wernicki noble family, designed as a sarcophagus accompanied by a sculpture which portrays Archangel Michael awaiting Judgement Day, his mind seemingly lost in thought. The Carrara marble tomb was made in Florence somewhere around 1904 by Emilio Zocchi, a world-famous sculptor. Many of the historic headstones are 19th-century Classicist efforts, relatively simple in architectural terms

Today, most of the new headstones are made of concrete, terrazzo and granite, completely devoid of any individual features.

Property of the Roman Catholic parish of St John the Baptist. The site is accessible all year round.

compiled by Anna Sikora-Terlecka, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Lublin, 03-07-2014.

Bibliography

• Majewski K., Nałęczów Zdrój. Catalogue of historical monuments. Kazimierz Dolny nad Wisłą 1977, Archive of the Regional Monuments Protection Office in Lublin, file no. 6177
• Nałęczów i jego okolice. Przewodnik informacyjny dla leczących się i lekarzy, wg. K. Chełchowskiego, A. Puławskiego, K. Sacewicza, Warsaw 1897, Archive of the Regional Monuments Protection Office in Lublin, file no. 356
• Tarka M., Dzieje Nałęczowa, Nałęczów 1989, Archive of the Regional Monuments Protection Office in Lublin, file no. 3037
• Wiącek W., Wzgórze pełne pamiątek, Lublin-Nałęczów 1993, the library of the National Heritage Board of Poland, Regional Office in Lublin, file no. 2641