Lichen

About

While constructed in the 1990s, the church’s origin dates back to 1813, when Tomasz Kłossowski, a Polish soldier fighting under Napoleon near Leipzig, was seriously wounded. He begged Our Lady of Sorrows to not let him die in a foreign land. According to legend, she appeared to him wearing gold and red, a motif reflected in the basilica’s décor, and told Tomasz he would return to Poland. He was instructed to have an image of her made for people to pray to in hard times. Today, an 18th century icon of Our Lady of Sorrows is displayed in the basilica’s main altar. Covering 10,090 square meters, Poland’s biggest church is home to the country’s largest organ, and now houses parts of the Polish museum in Fawley Court. The 141.5 meter high tower is one of the tallest buildings in Poland, and offers sweeping views of the basilica and surrounding countryside.