Szlak Piastów

Monuments within the Konin district, located along an important communication route connecting Kalisz and Konin with the Piast Route (No. 25), form an interesting complex of buildings, which may stand as its educational supplement. These are mainly Romanesque churches in Stare Miasto and Kazimierz. Among this group we can also enumerate the gothic church in Warzymów, Skulsk commune, a city strongly connected with the Bloody Devil from Venice (died 1400); this is also the legendary place, where Piast Kołodziej (Warzymowo) and his wife Rzepicha (Goplana) were born.
 
The Polish history during the reign of the Piast dynasty remind other monuments of the cultural heritage (churches in Stare Miasto, Kościelec Kolski, Kazimierz Biskupi, penitential crosses from Konin and Licheń, as well as a Milepost from Konin), forming a part of Romanesque Trail and Five Martyr Brothers and not numerous scared buildings from the gothic era. Historic past of the Konin district is filled with events concerning the times of the Piast monarchy, legends and traditions cultivating the memory of Polish statehood. This is primarily the tradition of Five Martyr Brothers (1003), creation of Lublin bishopric (about 1130), foundation of the Ląd monastery (1145, founded again in 1195-1196), Teutonic expeditions on Konin, Kalisz, Uniejów (1131-1132), Polish-Teutonic process, namely the Warsaw process (1139), civil war 1382-1385. People from the Konin district created the fundaments of the Jagiellonian University, they marked their presence in wars, politics, diplomacy, diplomacy, culture and science. The first chancellor of the renovated University – bishop of Krakow, Piotr Wysz (died 1414) was from Radolina.
 
There is a legend connected with Marian sanctuary in Skulsk, a legend about the marvellous vision of Bolesław the Brave team, which saw the Holy Mother. Whereas the so-called Budzisław apocrypha, relating the old tradition of Andrew Świeradz – one of the first hermits worshipped in Tropie on Dunajec, are connected with Budzisław Kościelny. The life of Andrew Świeradz existed already at the end of the 15^th century. The legend of Andrew was written in chronicles of the Bendictine monks from Kazimierz. From this place the cult was brought to Kujawy (Lubraniec).
 
When visiting the Konin district, the tourist will widen his knowledge on the Piast Trail and Poland of 10^th-14^th century, he will also learn about relations relating him to the clergy of cathedral chamber in Gniezno and Poznań, Benedictine monasteries in Mogilno, regular canons in Trzemeszno, Norbertine Sisters in Strzelno and Kruszwica collegiate church and the most prominent monuments from the most widely known Polish educational route – the Piast Trail. However, on the Piast Trail we meet personalities who are from the Konin district or who conducted their activity here. Among those there is Wojciech Miliński, abbot from Trzemeszna, friend of Bernardine brothers from Kazimierz, known from the tombstone from the post-monastic church in this town and his successor - Michał Kościesza Kosmowski, related with Bieniszew. Magnificent epitaphs of the mitrates in the Holy Trinity Basilica in Strzelno remind Sierakowski, a priest from Mąkolno. Jaskólski mitrate originated from the family inheriting from Rychwał. Priest named Łuczyński was closely related with the monastery in Kazimierz. Norbertine Sisters from the convent in Strzelno belonged to St. Anna’s brotherhood at the Bernardine monastery in Kazimierz, and the brothers of the monastery were their confessors for almost 200 years. Metropolite canons from Gniezno, who were the vicars of the St. Bartholomew’s parish church (and simultaneously of Stare Miasto near Konin), were related with Konin.
 
One of the most famous offshoot of Zaremba family originates from Królików. The ancestors of subchancellor of Poland, Wojciech (second half of the 15^th century) settled in Żychlin. Wincenty Kot, archbishop of Gniezno and tutor of king Władysław Jagiełło sons, is related with Kleczew.
 
The traits of the Konin district will be found in the history of hundreds of places in Wielkopolska. They are seen on the Wawel Hill – in the cathedral, in Warsaw, Poznań and even in many places in Europe.
 
Reading the most incredible chronicle of the European Middle Ages – Annals by Jan Długosz – reminds us of the Milestone from Konin (1153), alleged foundations made by Piotr Dunin (Kazimierz Biskupi, Konin), towns belonging to monasteries in Trzemeszno and Strzelno. First book of this masterpiece, named Chorography, describes in detail numerous towns of the Konin district, water regions related with Gopło and many rivers. Hence it is not astonishing that interests of the historiographer are precisely reflected in his works. This is most probably due to Sędziwój from Czechło, the provost of regular canons in the nearby Kłodawa, who rendered his wide collection of sources accessible to Jan Długosz.
 
Course of the trail: Kruszwica (collegiate church, castle tower) – Skulsk (Holy Mother sanctuary) – Warzymowo (grad, gothic temple) – Noć – Kazimierz Biskupi (St. Martin Romanesque church) – Konin-Gosławice (church, castle) – Konin (mediaeval parish church, milepost) – Stare Miasto (church) – Dzierzbin (Romanesque church) – Kościelec Kaliski (Romanesque church) – Kalisz-Zawodzie (grad, location of the former St. Paul collegiate, Franciscan monastery, St. Nicolas church, collegiate of the Blessed Virgin Mary).