Grant Map EU

Although the Benedictine monks from Tyniec still refer to the recently renovated wing of the abbey as the “great ruin”, they only do so out of habit. This is because the wing formerly housing a library lay in ruin for many years. The primary goal of Marcin Adamczewski, who designed the interior of the southern wing, was to emphasise the surviving parts of walls and vaults from the Gothic, baroque, and other periods by juxtaposing them with the rest of the structure rebuilt in the 20th century. The 1996 ferroconcrete ceiling in the largest room on the first floor is not glaring at all, as the visitor’s gaze is drawn by the beautiful baroque-inspired tiled floor, and the preserved broken remnants of the original vault emphasise the unique character of the “great ruin”, where there were trees growing until as late as the 1980s. One wall in the room still has a bit of a tree trunk left.

The appearance of the new wing, so different from the rest of the abbey, is well justified, as it is used for public purposes, namely the Benedictine Institute of Culture. The ground floor and vaults are occupied by a lapidary with historic exhibits and information about the Benedictine monks and monasticism, as well as the history of Tyniec and the abbey hill. The most precious are the beautifully exhibited remnants of Romanesque and Gothic masonry – column capitals and bases, fragments of the original cloisters and church floor tiles – dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. There are also glass showcases with some of the surviving volumes from the former library collection, liturgical objects and a number of exhibits on loan from various Polish libraries and museums, which belonged to the abbey until its dissolution.

The last part of the museum is a large multimedia room with sixteen interactive screens allowing the visitor to learn in an interesting and accessible way about St Benedict, his disciples and the monasteries he founded. The first floor has rooms used for conferences, seminars, and small “Preserve the Heritage” meetings organized by the Benedictine Institute of Culture. The different sizes and designs of the rooms in the new wing match the open character of the Institute engaged not only in religious retreats, workshops and courses, but also in a variety of activities in such fields as art, theatre, music and film. The second and third floors are occupied by the new “Guest House” for all those who need a brief respite for silent reflection.