The Saint Jadwiga's Shrine is a relatively new building. It is a copy, much the same as the smithy. The prototype comes from Łupice and stands at the end of the village. It is an example of a typical roadside shrine in a Great Poland village. It has two levels where the latter serves for displaying the figure it is dedicated to. In this case it is Saint Jadwiga. A prototypical sculpture, based on which the figure is made, originates from Hetmanice. It is kept by the owners of the homestead it stands on together with Mother of God Immaculately Conceived. The sculpture has got characteristic features of folk handicraft products: a simple design, vivid colours, standardized figures.
Saint Jadwiga was born in 1174 in Bavaria. At the age of 13 she married Henryk Brodaty with whom she had seven children, among others Henryk Pobożny, killed in battle with Tatars at Legnica. One of legends holds that a Cistercian nun, a travelling companion of Jadwiga, collapsed and lost the sight during the journey from Trzebnica to Przemęt, where the future Saint funded a convent. Jadwiga dug a hole with her walking stick where from water gushed out. When the nun washed her eyes, she was back to strength and able to see again. Since that Jadwiga was venerated. She died at the convent on 15.10.1243 and was canonized only just after 24 years. She has been the patron of Europe, Poland, the Silesia Region, Trzebnica, Berlin, Andechs, Wrocław and Gorlitz as well as the guardian of the refugees and the symbol of reconciliation and peace. Her popularity has also reached west Grand Poland. In iconography she has been presented wearing duchess' attire or a Cistercian habit, but she has been shown as a young wife in a white dress as well. She holds in her hands some attributes: a cross, a book, Holy Mother, a model of the church and a rosary
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Till today roadside shrines, perhaps not as numerous as they used to be, are a long-lasting element of west Grand Poland village architecture. They were built at the crossroads, at places where something important had happened or to thank, do penance and as well as compensate for committed sins. However, regardless of the reason they were built for, they always coloured a local landscape. The colourfulness is not necessarily owed to the object itself but to the floral decorations shrines are decorated on many occasions connected with annual rituals or simply their patrons. A rich calendar of holidays used to guarantee regular deliveries of fresh flowers, new garlands, candles and various colourful ribbons. Shrines were the pride and the boast of local residents who tried to make them look the most beautiful. That was why they were fenced in and planted around with trees and flowers.
First of all shrines proved great piety of given community members who left themselves and all their possessions in patron's care. Saints were asked for generous harvests, care of the family, health and good weather. Small chapels were a place of a reverie and a short break wanderers praying for a good journey took along their way.
Our shrine was consecrated on 11.10.2002. It is the first sacred object within the open air ethnographic museum. We hope that it is not the last one and expect that in the future the exhibition will be completed by other architecture units of this kind. Already now we invite all visitors to see its re-consecration at the next anniversary of Saint Jadwiga's death. All namesakes of our patron are particularly warmly welcome. |
