The Archaeological Museum in Wiślica
It is situated in one of the few places in Poland that are covered by a full preservation order. Wiślica is an exceptionally attractive tourist destination with the prestigious title of Historic Monument, where a rich cultural heritage harmoniously blends with the area’s natural beauty. The museum was established on the initiative of the Research Group on the Polish Middle Ages on 20 May 1966. Its main original goal is to collect, make available and promote the movable artefacts recovered during archaeological excavations carried out between 1949 and 1964. It was very important to protect and make available architectural relics – St Nicholas’s Church with the baptismal font (archaeological research carried out in 2021 ruled out the idea that the ‘bowl’ served as a baptistery) and the historic artefacts discovered in the crypt of the collegiate church. After years of reorganisation, the institution was incorporated into the National Museum in Kielce in 2017. In the years 2018–2022, it was modernised thanks to funding from the European Funds. On that occasion, the following attraction was created:
An underground route around the basilica linking the remains of medieval Wiślica
A single tourist trail has now brought together previously separate parts of the museum exhibition – the archaeological pavilion and the archaeological reserve in the crypt of the minor basilica. The conservation and construction work carried out as part of the modernisation project made it possible to safeguard the treasures of Wiślica effectively. A section of the museum has been set aside for artefacts specially brought to Wiślica and for exhibits discovered during the archaeological work carried out during the modernisation of the facility. This made it possible to display the historical building levels, stone courses and remains of the uncovered structures, as well as small archaeological artefacts such as pottery, metal implements, tools and coins discovered during excavations around the collegiate church. The exhibition makes use of the latest visualisation techniques, enabling visitors to see, among others, an animation of the construction of the Romanesque basilica and its transformation into a collegiate church, as well as three-dimensional models of buildings and objects used by the inhabitants of Wiślica from the 9th until the 16th century. The route has been planned so as to ensure both the preservation of the historic sites and the enhancement of the visitor’s experience.
