Konserwacja reliktów rotundy św.św. Feliksa i Adaukta na Wawelu

• Authors: Stępień Piotr

Title variants

EN

CONSERVATION OF THE MONUMENT OF THE SAINT FELIX AND SAINT ADAUCTUS ROTUNDA ON THE WAWEL

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

The relics of the rotunda of St. Felix and St. Adauctus are located in the former Royal Kitchens in the Royal Castle on the Wawel hill. They were discovered on 1911-1917 by Z. Hendel and A. Szyszko-Bohusz. Archeological excavations in 1956-1966 and 1974-1975 revealed other remnants of the walls. The whole site was turned into an archeological and architectural reserve open to the public. Conservation discussed in the article includes: - walls of the rotunda proper, with a four-leaf ground plan, preserved on the whole up to a height of 2,3-3,4 metres, and over 6,8 metres in the south-west apse, - foundation walls of a round structure between the south-east and south-west apses, with layers of the original floor, - two fragments of annexe walls adjoining to the rotunda from the west, and preserved up to a height of several score cms, - the multilateral annexe next to the south-west apse. Present-day literature on the subject accepts that the rotunda was built at the end of the tenth or the beginning of the eleventh century, and that it constitutes part of pre-Romanesque architecture connected with the reign of Bolesław Chrobry. Originally, the rotunda was dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary. The second annexe is considered to date from the eleventh century. After it was incorporated into the line of fortifications (1241), the rotunda ceased to fulfill its sacral functions. In the mid-fourteenth century Kazimierz the Great renovated the building, restored its functions and dedicated it to St. Felix and St. Adauctus. During the construction of the Royal Kitchens (1 51 6-1 517), the rotunda was once again deprived of its status as a chapel, and merged with the new building. At the time of the 1 809 reconstruction, its walls were pulled down to the level extant today. The basic conservation premise was to protect the object with the use of methods which would make possible further research and studies. Additionally, it was intended to make the relics more legible. Despite new hypotheses as regards the original form of the edifice, it was decided that the arrangement of the display originally made by A. Szyszko-Bohusz would be maintained, including the reconstruction of part of the upper rotunda as a wooden model. In the 1920s, this was a truly pioneering solution and today posseses certain historical value of its own. Work proper was preceded by inventories of the walls conducted by means of a photogrammetric method, laboratory studies of the stone and mortar, and an analysis of the archive documents which made feasible a chronological assesment of the walls, i.a. the determination of the supplements dating from the 1 920s. For the sake of differentating the mortars, the observation concerned also luminescence activated by ultraviolet radiation. Examinations of the mortar showed that in the pre-Romanesque parts of the walls use was made of lime mortar with a filler of broken limestone and probably carbonized lime. The Gothic mortar consists of typical lime-sand material. The stones of the pre-Romanesque material are dominated by fine-grained, grey- greenish glauconictic sandstone with a calcitic binder, possibly from the region of Wieliczka. We also come across hard Mesozoic limestones, coarse-grained sandstones with silicious of ferruginous binder or even conglomerates. Stone slates were placed in layers throughout tne whole thickness of the wall. The basic problem which was decisive for embarking upon conservation was the destruction of the mortar, noticeable in many places, which was powdering, crumbling and pouring out of the joints. This damage resulted in the subsequent detachment of stones. Part of the sandstones, especially in the outer face of the rotunda, powdered and became subject to foliation. The entire process was caused by the centuries-old impact of atmospheric factors, but the direct reasons was excessive drying after the disclosure of the walls and the installation of a central- heating system. Cleaning was differentiated depending on the state of the preservation of the material. Considering the very poor state of the stone and mortar, original portions of the wall in the outer face of the south-east apse were cleaned with bread erasers. The original floor and walls of the annexes were dusted with paintbrushes and vaccum cleaners. It was possible to clean the inside of the rotunda and the northern side gently with water. In many places, splashes of paint, old repairs with cement mortar and epoxy resin, which did not play their original role, were removed. Desalination with distilled water pads was performed in the lowest parts of the wall. The original pattern of the stones was restored in sections of the wall upon the basis of archive documents. The consolidation of the material included three technologies: - compounds based on ethyl silicates: VP 1 287 and Steinfestiger OH, produced by Wacker-Chemie as well as NT 6425SF produced by Nunchritz intended mainly to strengthen the sandstone, clay and the lime-sand mortar; other compounds which consolidate the mortar slightly less contain calcitic fillers. It must be stressed that use was made of non-hydrophobic, exclusuvely consolidating measures, in order not to disturb the evaporation of dampness; -acrylic and derivative resins mainly in theform of water diffusion (Osakryl KM and S-4, Oktamid KSM-W (Polish production)), sporadically in the form of a solution of organic solvents (Osolan KL), intended for the consolidation of the mortar, plaster, and the fixing of old plaster and smaller fragments of stone to the base; - lime milk was rarely used for a surface preconsolidation of the crumbling mortar before the strengthening of the whole wall with ethyl silicates. The restoration of tne mortar is practised only when necessary in the form of edge bands along the old plaster, in order to strengthen the stones etc. Greater replenishments of the mortar were conducted only in those cases when it was required to consoliaate loose stones into a wall structure. This entailed the use of lime-sand mortar, modified with a small addition of a water diffusion of acrylic resin. A technology different from the above described pre-Romanesque mortar was applied purposefully, in accordance with the assumption of making it possible for future scholars to easily distinguish the authentic substance from the later additions. The appearance of the mortar is similar, so as not to disturb visual perception. Disinfection intended to destory microorganisms as well as a number of auxiliary undertakings were additionally performed. The above described tasks were carried out in the years 1986-1 990 by a team from the Workshop for the Conservation of Monuments, directed by the author of this article.

• Publisher: Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa
• Journal: Ochrona Zabytków
• Year: 1991
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 91-101

Dates

published

1991

Contributors

author

Stępień Piotr

• mgr inż. arch., PKZ - Kierownictwo Odnowienia Zamku Królewskiego na Wawelu

References

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Identifiers

ISSN

0029-8247