View source for Culture of medieval Poland

{{Culture of Poland}}
{{short description|Overview of the medieval culture of Poland}}
[[File:Madonna z Krużlowej1.jpg|thumb|upright|Madonna of [[Krużlowa Wyżna|Krużlowa]]]]
[[File:Kraków, St. Andrew.JPG|thumb|upright|[[St. Andrew's Church, Kraków]]]]
The '''culture of medieval Poland''' was closely linked to the [[Catholic Church]] and its involvement in the country's affairs, especially during the first centuries of the [[history of Poland|Polish state's history]]. Many of the oldest Polish customs and artifacts date from the [[Middle Ages]], which in Poland lasted from the late 10th to late 15th century, and were followed by the [[Renaissance in Poland|Polish Renaissance]].

== Early centuries (10th–12th) ==
The [[Christianization of Poland|Christianization]] of the [[Kingdom of Poland (1025-1138)|Kingdom of Poland]] led, as in the rest of [[Europe]], to the supplementation of previous [[pagan]] [[Slavic mythology]]-based culture [[Polans (western)|Polanie]] with the new [[Christian culture]] of the Kingdom of Poland under the [[Piast dynasty]].<ref name=mik1>[[Michael J. Mikoś]], ''Polish Literature from the Middle Ages to the End of the Eighteenth Century. A Bilingual Anthology'', Warsaw: Constans, 1999. [http://staropolska.pl/ang/middleages/Mikos_middle/Cultural_m.html Cultural background]</ref> Around the 12th century, the [[ecclesiastical]] network in Poland was composed of about one thousand [[parish]]es grouped in eight [[diocese]]s.<ref name=mik1/> 
[[File:Drzwi gnieznienskie Otto wrecza pastoral Wojciechowi-MJ.jpg|left|thumb|Adalbert becomes bishop, detail of the [[Gniezno Doors]], 1175]]

The new customs spread as the Church also acted as the state's [[educational system]].<ref name=mik1/> Church run schools with Latin ''[[Trivium (education)|trivium]]'' (grammar, rhetoric, dialectic) and ''[[quadrivium]]'' (mathematics, geometry, astronomy, and music) and was helped by various [[religious orders]] which established [[monastery|monasteries]] throughout the countryside.<ref name=mik1/> By the end of the 13th century, over 300 monasteries existed in Poland, spreading Catholicism and Western traditions: for example, the first [[Benedictine]] monasteries built in the 11th century in [[Tyniec]] and [[Lubin]] spread new Western agricultural and industrial techniques.<ref name=mik1/> 

Another powerful tool employed by the Church was the skill of [[writing]]. The Church had the knowledge and the ability to make [[parchment]]s, and [[scribe]]s created and copied [[manuscript]]s and established [[library|libraries]].<ref name=mik1/> Thus the earliest examples of [[Polish literature]] were written in [[Latin language|Latin]].<ref name=mik2>[[Michael J. Mikoś]], ''Polish Literature from the Middle Ages to the End of the Eighteenth Century. A Bilingual Anthology'', Warsaw: Constans, 1999. [http://staropolska.pl/ang/middleages/Mikos_middle/Literary_m.html Literary background]</ref> Among them were the [[Gospel]]s from [[Gniezno]] and [[Płock]], {{Interlanguage link multi|Codex aureus Gnesnensis|de}} and {{Interlanguage link multi|Codex Aureus Pultoviensis|de}}, dating from around the late 11th century.<ref name=mik1/> Other notable examples of early Polish books include the [[Erazm Ciołek (bishop of Płock)|Bishop Ciołek's]] ''[[Ciołek's Missal|Latin Missal]]'' and ''Olbracht's Gradual''. Also famous are the [[chronicle]]s of [[Gallus Anonymus]] and [[Wincenty Kadłubek]].<ref name=mik2/> 

While [[folk music]] did not disappear during this time, relatively little of the early [[Polish music]] is known. [[Musical instrument]]s, commonly homemade (e.g., [[fiddle]]s, [[lyre]]s, [[lute]]s, [[zither]]s, and [[French horn|horn]]s) were used.<ref name=mik1/> The [[Gregorian chant|Gregorian]] [[chorale]]s and [[monodic]] music appeared in Polish churches and monasteries at the end of the 11th century.<ref name=mik1/>

The [[architecture]] of Poland was also transformed. Over one hundred buildings have survived which provide a testament to the popularity of the new, monumental style of [[Romanesque architecture]].<ref name=mik1/> The style was influenced by [[Cologne]], particularly early on.<ref name=mik1/> Among those is the [[St. Leonard's Crypt|Crypt of Saint Leonard]] at [[Wawel Hill]] in [[Kraków]] and the [[Cathedral of Płock]], built in 1144.<ref name=mik1/> Many similar churches from that era, usually round or square with semicircular [[apse]]s, can be found throughout Poland, in towns like [[Ostrów Lednicki]] or [[Giecz]].<ref name=mik1/> Another example is the brick [[Dominican Church and Convent of St. James in Sandomierz|Church of St. Jacob]] in [[Sandomierz]], founded in 1226 by [[Iwo Odrowąż]] and built by his nephew [[Hyacinth of Poland|St. Jacek Odrowąż]] (its [[Bell tower|campanile]] however was built in early Gothic style in the 14th century). At the [[Gniezno Cathedral|Cathedral in Gniezno]] is an important example of Romanesque art, the [[bronze]] [[Gniezno Doors]] (c. 1175),<ref name=mik1/> which is recognized as the first major work of Polish art with a national theme.<ref name=mik1/> Their [[relief]] depicts eighteen scenes of the life and death of [[Adalbert of Prague|Saint Adalbert]].<ref name=mik1/>

== Late centuries (13th–15th) ==
From the 13th century on the culture of Poland was increasingly affected by forces other than the Church, as the nonecclesiastical institutions begun to gain importance.<ref name=mik1/> The 14th century also saw the important transition from the [[Piast dynasty]] to the [[Jagiellonian dynasty]].<ref name=mik3>[[Michael J. Mikoś]], ''Polish Literature from the Middle Ages to the End of the Eighteenth Century. A Bilingual Anthology'', Warsaw: Constans, 1999. [http://staropolska.pl/ang/middleages/Mikos_middle/Historical_m.html Historical background]</ref> The schools prepared their students for careers not only in [[priesthood]] but also in [[law]], [[diplomacy]], and administration.<ref name=mik1/> [[Cracow Academy]] (centuries later renamed to Jagiellonian University), one of the oldest [[university|universities]] in the world, was founded in 1364.<ref name=mik1/> [[Polish law]] begun to develop as legal texts recorded laws in secular [[Royal Chancellery|chancelleries]].<ref name=mik1/> Polish science also developed, as works of Polish scholars became known abroad.<ref name=mik1/> Notable examples of Polish scholarly texts discussed in the Western Europe include a chronicle of popes and emperors by [[Martinus Polonus]] and the treatise on [[optics]] by [[Witelo]].<ref name=mik1/> By the end of the 14th century, over 18,000 students had been educated at the Cracow Academy.<ref name=mik1/> The faculties of [[astronomy]], law and [[theology]] were staffed with prominent scholars, for example, Stanisław of Skalbmierz, [[Paweł Włodkowic]], [[Jan of Głogów]], and Wojciech of Brudzew.<ref name=mik1/> [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] (Mikołaj Kopernik) developed new astronomical theories, bringing about a revolutionary change in the contemporary perception of the universe.<ref name=mik1/> 
{{multiple image
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 | header    = Two traditions 
 | image1    = Jogaila (Władysław II).jpg
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 | caption1  = Western European tradition ([[Gothic art]]) – effigy of [[Jogaila]] portraited as one of the [[Magi]] detail of the Triptych of Our Lady of Sorrows in the [[Wawel Cathedral]], [[Silesia]]n Stanisław Durink.  
 | image2    = Master Andrey Ladislaus II Jagiello kneeling before the Virgin Mary (detail).jpg
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 | caption2  = Eastern European tradition ([[Byzantine art]]) – effigy of Jogaila kneeling before the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Holy Trinity Chapel of the [[Lublin Castle]], [[Ruthenians|Ruthenian]] Master Andrej.   
}}

The ties between Poland other countries also increased, as prospective students went abroad to [[University of Padua]], [[University of Paris]] and other renown European academies.<ref name=mik1/> This was strengthened by other similar trends, as Poles traveled abroad, and foreigners visited Poland. The [[royal court|royal and ducal courts]], through [[diplomatic mission]]s and alliance-forming intermarriage, absorbed foreign cultural influences.<ref name=mik1/> Contacts between Polish royal court and those of neighbouring countries – [[Hungary]], [[Bohemia]], the [[Italy in the Middle Ages|Italian states]], [[France]], and the [[List of states in the Holy Roman Empire|German States]] increased with time.<ref name=mik1/> Poland was also affected by the process of [[Germany|German]] [[colonization]] ([[Ostsiedlung]]).<ref name=mik1/> As German settlers migrated East, they brought various knowledge and customs (for example the [[Magdeburg law]]s).<ref name=mik1/> Germans often settled in towns, and thus Polish [[urban culture]] became similar to that of the [[Western Europe]].<ref name=mik1/> Polish culture, influenced by the West, in turn radiated east, with one of the main consequences being the [[Polish-Lithuanian Union]]. 
[[Image:Krakow nagrobek Kazimierza W.jpg|thumb|upright|Sarcophagus of Casimir the Great at [[Wawel Cathedral]]]]

As in the West, [[Gothic architecture]] gained popularity in Poland, mostly due to the growing influence and wealth of the Church and the towns which became major sponsors of this new style.<ref name=mik1/> Coupled with the significant [[economic development]] that occurred during the reign of [[Casimir III of Poland|Casimir III the Great]], this resulted in a major transformation of Polish landscape, as hundreds of Gothic buildings rose throughout the country. The cathedrals of Kraków, Wrocław, Gniezno, and Poznań in Gothic style were built or rebuilt in the new style, as were hundreds of [[basilica]]s and churches, such as the [[St. Mary's Church, Krakow]] and the [[Collegiate Church]] in [[Sandomierz]]. Gothic secular buildings such as [[city hall]]s also became numerous, for example in the new towns of [[Kazimierz]] and [[Wiślica]].<ref name=mik1/> Casimir also invested in improved defenses. [[City walls]], other town fortifications and standalone [[castle]]s were raised. Casimir ordered the construction of least 40 new [[castle]]s, guarding strategically vital areas and communication lines—they were so numerous that there is an [[Eagle Nests Trail]] in modern Poland). Cracow Academy received its seat, the [[Collegium Maius]].<ref name=mik1/> 
[[Image:Gothic altar veit stoss.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Gothic [[Altar of Veit Stoss]]]]

Architecture was not the only area of arts that boomed at that time. The patronage of wealthy and influential individuals, from kings through the nobility, as well as clergymen and town patricians, allowed various artists to create masterpieces.<ref name=mik1/> For example, [[Grzegorz of Sanok]], [[Archbishop of Lwów]], a poet himself, supported numerous scholars and writers, such as [[Filip Callimachus]] from [[Tuscany]], who became a tutor to King Casimir's sons, and a professor at the Jagiellonian University.<ref name=mik1/> Buildings were adorned with gold and silver articles, paintings, [[stained glass]] windows, stone and wood sculptures, and textiles. Notable monuments include the [[sarcophagus]] of Casimir the Great in the [[Wawel Cathedral]], the altar of St. Catherine's Church in Kraków by Mikolaj Haberschrack, the [[stained glass]] windows of Saint Nicholas's Church, [[Toruń]], the [[reliquary]] for the head of [[Stanislaus of Szczepanów|Saint Stanisław]], and the [[chasuble]] from the benefaction of Piotr Kmita. [[Byzantine art]] was also influential, represented in the [[fresco]]es of the Trinity Chapel in [[Lublin]], and of [[Italian art]] in the Franciscan monastery in Kraków.<ref name=mik1/> One of the greatest examples of Gothic art in Poland are the works of [[Veit Stoss]] (Wit Stwosz), who came from [[Nuremberg]] to Kraków in 1477, staying there till his death twenty years later.<ref name=mik1/> [[Altar of Veit Stoss|His wooden altar]], with hundreds of small figurines, has been described as "one of the crowning achievements of medieval sculpture."<ref name=mik1/> 

The origins of Polish music can be traced as far back as the 13th century. Manuscripts from that period have been found in [[Stary Sącz]], containing [[polyphony|polyphonic]] compositions related to the Parisian [[Notre Dame School]]. Liturgical and canonical songs, hymns and carols were created.<ref name=mik2/> Other early compositions, such as the melody of ''[[Bogurodzica]]'', may also date back to this period.<ref name=mik2/> One of the most notable Polish composers of that era was [[Mikolaj z Radomia]], author of [[polyphonic music]].<ref name=mik2/> He lived in the 15th century and spent much of his life at the court of king [[Władysław Jagiełło]].<ref name=mik1/> 

<gallery mode=packed>
File:Church of St. Prokop in Strzelno.JPG|[[Rotunda (architecture)|Rotunda]] of St. Procopius in [[Strzelno]], 1133
File:Tum - Kolegiata 01.jpg|[[Collegiate church in Tum]], 1140–1161
File:Kościół Marii Magdaleny-portal detal2.jpg|Ołbin Monastery, Wrocław
File:Ołbin-portal.JPG|Ołbin Monastery, Wrocław
File:Strzelno column of virtues.jpg|Romanesque column with personifications of virtues in [[St. Trinity-Church in Strzelno]], 12th century
File:Czerwinsk1.jpg|Czerwińsk
File:Kościelec - kościół wnętrze (22.VI.2008).JPG|[[Kościelec, Lesser Poland Voivodeship|Kościelec]] church of Saint Adalbert (św.Wojciech in polish), 1231
File:Sulejów-Podklasztorze3.jpg|[[Cistercians Abbey in Sulejów|Sulejów Abbey]], 1232
File:Opatow, kolegiata sw. Marcina 3.jpg|[[Saint Martin Collegiate Church in Opatow]], 1206
File:Prandocin 05.JPG|Church of St. John the Baptist in [[Prandocin]], 12th century
File:Bolkow(js)1.jpg|Bolko castle in [[Bolków]]
File:Jedrzejow church 20060722 1150.jpg|[[Cistercian Monastery in Jędrzejów]], 1140
File:Polska Sandomierz 006.jpg|Portal of the [[Dominican Church and Convent of St. James in Sandomierz|Dominican Church]] in [[Sandomierz]], 1236
File:Kosciol sw Idziego w Inowlodzu.jpg|Inowłódz
File:Colegiate church, Kruszwica.JPG|Collegiate church, [[Kruszwica]]
File:Cieszyn rotunda sw Mikolaja.jpg|St. Nicolas Rotunda, [[Cieszyn]]
File:Inowroclaw kosciol NMP.jpg|St. Mary's church, [[Inowrocław]]
File:Poznań, Ostrów Tumski,ul. Mieszka I, Katedra pw. śś Apostołów Piotra i Pawła, XI-XX, A 148 z 14.02.1930 (1).JPG|[[Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, Poznań|Archcathedral Basilica]] in [[Poznań]], 1244-1406
File:Kraków - St. Mary Church 01.JPG|[[St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków|St. Mary's Basilica]] in [[Kraków]], 1321–1331
File:Wrocław - Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela (1).jpg|[[Wrocław Cathedral|St. John's Cathedral]] in [[Wrocław]], 1244-1341
File:SM Elbląg Kościół św Mikołaja (0) ID 644686.jpg|[[St. Nicholas Cathedral, Elbląg|St. Nicholas Cathedral]] in [[Elbląg]], 1247 - 14th century
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[History of Poland (966–1385)]]
* [[History of Poland (1385-1569)]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* [[Michael J. Mikoś]], ''Polish Literature from the Middle Ages to the End of the Eighteenth Century. A Bilingual Anthology'', Warsaw: Constans, 1999. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090421140035/http://www.staropolska.gimnazjum.com.pl/ang/middleages/index.html First chapters online]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Culture Of Medieval Poland}}
[[Category:Cultural history of Poland]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Poland]]