Wąwolnica - village (1346–1870 town), seat of the rural commune in Poland, located in Lubelskie Voivodeship, in Puławy poviat, in in the Wąwolnica commune, on the Bystra river (tributary of the Vistula).
Geographic coordinates: 51 ° 17′35 ″ N 22 ° 08′40 ″ E
The commune is situated on the Nałęczowski Plateau in the valley of the Bystra River. Much of its area lies within the territory Kazimierz Landscape Park The thickness of the loess cover here exceeds 20 m, which favors erosion and results in the richness of the terrain in the form of ravines and ravines.
The landscape diversified, quiet, calm and fresh air are the perfect conditions to take advantage of agritourism offers. The town is famous for its weekly fairs (Wednesdays) held here continuously since the 15th century, granted with privileges by Władysław Jagiełło.
Wąwolnica is also a famous place of worship of Our Lady of Kębło, attracting pilgrims from Poland and abroad. You can find out about it during the church fair on the first Sunday in September.
The traces of people's first stay here come from the Stone Age. Krak is considered to be the legendary founder of "Wawelnica". The first written source informing about the existence of Wąwolnica, about the age-old history of the village, is a document - a manuscript from 1027, kept in the monastery at Holy Cross. In it it was written: In 1027, the fathers of our monastery performed a parish service in the newly founded settlement of Wawelnica, freshly converted to the Holy Faith..
The city, located on the former amber trade route between the Baltic and the Black Sea, had a fortified city in the 13th century, and a parish in the 14th century, but it was not until the reign of Casimir the Great that the times of Wąwolnica were glory, as the ruler elevated it to the rank of a city surrounded by walls and built a castle. In the 15th century, castellan courts were held in Wąwolnica, and in the 16th century, courts of the Lublin voivode over the nobility.
In the middle of the 16th century, the town was completely burnt down, and in 1567, King Sigismund Augustus ordered it to be rebuilt.
After the partitions of Poland and the Congress of Vienna, the city found itself in the Russian partition as part of the Kingdom of Poland, and under the tsarist restrictions after the January Uprising, Wąwolnica lost its city status.
Worth seeing:
- Church of st. Wojciech - erected in the years 1907-1914 with contributions from parishioners, in the late neo-Gothic style of red brick, in 2001 elevated to the dignity of a Minor Basilica. Inside, there is a 14th-century Gothic figure of the Madonna and Child, made of linden wood. It is probably one of the Grunwald trophies given to churches by Władysław Jagiełło. The altar of the church shows Poles paying homage to the Mother of God.
- Chapel of Our Lady of Kębło - it is a rebuilt presbytery of a former Gothic church that fell into disrepair and was pulled down. Currently, it is the Sanctuary of the Mother of God, since 1700 there is a figure of Our Lady of Kębło famous for its graces, dating from the mid-15th century, made of linden wood and depicting the Mother of God with the baby Jesus. It belongs to the characteristic series of Beautiful Madonnas. In 1978 she received papal crowns.
The chapel presents the history of Wąwolnica Regional Museum, which was established in 1995 on the initiative of the Board of the Society of Friends of Wąwolnica and the then pastor, Fr. the infuate of Jan Pęzioł. Contact: phone: 81 882 50 04
- Organist - the building of the former parish hospital from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, which also served as a poorhouse. A frequent guest here was Fr. card. Stefan Wyszyński.
- Cemetery - founded in the second half of the 19th century on the slopes of the hills. In the picturesquely situated necropolis there are historic tombstones (including mayor Aleksander Majewski, Ludwik Sobieszczański, Maciej Sławecki, Count Antoni Rostworowski, Kazimierz Dulęba). Noteworthy are the tombs carved in the slopes.
- Market - established in the 16th century, it is the center of the former city layout, a reminder of the times when Wąwolnica was a town.
Wąwolnica is located on the edge of the Kazimierz Landscape Park, between important centers of the tourist triangle of south-eastern Poland Pulawy - Kazimierz Dolny - Nałęczów.
Nearby attractions:
- Palace and park complex in Kęble - a brick manor house was built at the beginning of the 19th century, rebuilt at the end of the century by the Rostworowski family. Currently, it houses a Special School and Educational Center, at which there is a Equestrian School.
- Chapel in Kęble - in the place of the apparitions of the Mother of God during the Tatar invasion in 1278, a wooden church was built. In 1700 the miraculous statue of the Mother of God was moved to Wą-wolnica, and the church was pulled down. In the nineteenth century, a chapel with a stone on which the apparitions took place was built. It was founded by Fr. Kempiński as thanks for regaining his sight. The currently existing chapel was built in 2008.
- Park and palace complex in Celejów - it is the former seat of the Chotecki family from the 15th century. In 1740, the subsequent owners, Tarłów, rebuilt the seat according to the design of the architect Franciszek Mayer (Magier), and the Lubomirski family decided to expand it again. In the years 1823-1831 the residence belonged to the Czartoryski family. characteristic neo-gothic tower. Then the residence passed into the hands of Marcin Klemensowski. At the end of the 19th century, it was rebuilt after a fire.
- Jewish cemetery in Zarzece - remains of the historic necropolis established in the first quarter of the 19th century. In the northern part, there are several tombstones - matzevas, and in the southern part there is a monument to the victims of mass execution buried here - residents of Wąwolnica and Nałęczów of Jewish nationality.
- Ruins of a paper mill in Celejów - built in 1828 by the Czartoryski family, it was one of the first paper mills in the country, but in 1847 it was turned into a water mill, operating until World War II, due to the lack of orders. After the war, the mill fell into disrepair. Currently, these picturesque ruins are inaccessible, they lie on a private property.
- Mill in Celejów-Iłki - moved around 1900 from Witoszyn, destroyed during World War I and II, was rebuilt and served its purpose until 1960, when the water drive was replaced with an electric one. Currently, the mill grinds grain supplied by local farmers into flour, but it is also an attraction for tourists - it is possible to visit, participate in a grain milling show.
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