History of the structure/dating of construction phases

Traces of prehistoric settlement: from the Neolithic period, the population of the Lusatian culture, the Roman influence period. Relics of a tribal hillfort from the 9th century, a hillfort of the first Piasts, relics of a Romanesque rotunda from approx. the middle of the 11th century, a Cistercian monastery from several stages of development - from the middle of the 12th century until the middle of the 14th century, a monastery settlement and a skeleton burial ground used from the late 13th to the early 16th century. Since at least the 19th century the site is known as “The Monastery”

Description of the structure

Location of the historic structure

The settlement and architectural complex called “The Monastery” is located on a peninsula, on the western shore of Lake Łekneńskie, 1.3 km north of Tarnów Pałucki, in a post-glacial tunnel of the following lakes: Łekneńskie-Bracholińskie Duże (Rgielskie)-Bracholińskie Małe (Southern Rgielskie). Administratively, it is located on the territory of Tarnów Pałucki. From the 1950s it has functioned in literature as Łekno.

Description of the site

Hillfort with a rotunda - Łekno site 3, monastery and monastery settlement - Łekno site 4 occupied nearly 4 hectares of land. The settlement was initially adjacent to the castle and later to the monastery. Originally the area of the complex was separated from the mainland by a small bay. There was a permanent connection to the land from Tarnowo Podgórne.

History of the site

Information about the monastery in Łekno is recorded in the “chronicle of Wągrowiec” from the first quarter of the 17th century, during the translocation of the Cistercian monastery from Łekno to Wągrowiec at the end of the 14th century.              

In 1842, Edward Raczyński also mentioned the existence of the monastery in his “Memoirs of Wielkopolska”. Archaeological interest in the remnants of the complex dates back to at least 1950. During a survey conducted by Józef Kostrzewski and Zdzisław Rajewski the ruins of the monastery were noted.

Progress and findings of archaeological research

Surface surveys in 1975 and 1986. In 1976 survey research. 1982-1987 interdisciplinary excavation research. Traces of a Lusatian culture settlement, relics of an early medieval castle, remnants of a Romanesque rotunda, relics of buildings from two phases of construction of a Cistercian monastery church, a multi-layered skeleton burial ground, a late Gothic religious object, fragments of foundations of unspecified buildings, adjacent to the monastery church from the north, were discovered at that time. The dimensions of the rotunda were reconstructed, which, including the apse, was about 12 m long; the external diameter of the nave was about 9 m, and the internal diameter was 6.8 m; the external diameter of the apse was 5.6 m, and the internal diameter was 3.6 m. It dates back to 1120. The first monastery church was situated on the ramparts, the inner yard and the interior of the north-eastern and north-central parts of the castle. The church had a single nave and was built on a rectangular floor plan with a separate chancel and an elliptical apse. It was rebuilt in the first half of the 13th century, renovated at the beginning of the 14th century. After the relocation of the monastery, a cemetery chapel was built around the middle of the 15th century on the site of the former monastery church, which operated until the early 16th century.

Visitor access. The site is open to visitors.

Author of the note: Marek Wróbel, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Poznań, Field Office in Trzebiny, 31-08-2018

Bibliography

• Wyrwa A. M., 1998, Opactwo cysterskie Łekno – Wągrowiec (1153-1835/6). Zarys Dziejów;
• Wyrwa A. M., 1998 a, 1098-1998. 900-lecie powstania Zakonu Cystersów. Łekno-Wągrowiec, najstarsze opactwo cysterskie w Polsce, pp. 1-2 (kalendarz);
• Wyrwa A. M., 2000, Jubileuszowe obchody 900-lecia zakonu cystersów w Łeknie i Wągrowcu, [in:] Studia i Materiały do dziejów Pałuk, Vol. 3, Środowisko naturalne a osadnictwo w łekneńskim kompleksie osadniczym, pp. 626-631;
• Wyrwa A. M., 2001, Historyczne dziedzictwo ziemi łekneńskiej, [in:] Przegląd Wielkopolski, no. 3-4, pp. 23-36