Adam Mickiewicz is widely regarded as the greatest Polish poet of all time. His masterpiece „Pan Tadeusz” has been called the Polish national epic. Although the plot is set in Lithuania, a vast part of the story, its characters, and even landscape descriptions were inspired by his stay in Greater Poland. Visitors can get to know this and many other enthralling stories at the Adam Mickiewicz Museum in Śmiełów.
Mickiewicz in Greater Poland
Adam Mickiewicz came to Greater Poland in 1831 with the aim of fighting his way to the Russian-occupied territories. He intended to support the November Uprising against Russian rule, which had already been ongoing for a year. Unfortunately, he was unable to accomplish his goal. Several explanations have been suggested for his failure. One of them is that the border patrols were too strong, while another one implies that the uprising was already failing. There is also another quite humorous explanation. Namely, Adam was so busy attending lavish receptions held in his honour and enjoying the company of the local aristocratic ladies that his original plans were never realized. In any case, Mickiewicz visited a dozen manor houses and palaces in Greater Poland, staying in Śmiełów for a few weeks. His stay in this voivodeship was the last time he would see his homeland.
Śmiełów Palace
The classicist Śmiełów Palace was built in 1797 for the Gorzeński family. It was designed by Stanisław Zawadzki, the architect of the palaces in Dobrzyca and Lubostroń, both of which are open to visitors.
The interiors of the palace are richly decorated. The wall paintings were commissioned to the brothers Franciszek and Antoni Smuglewicz, who also created frescoes inspired by those found in Roman villas in Pompeii. Interestingly, the building’s owners were Freemasons. That’s why in the basement, beneath the main hall, there is an octagonal hall used for the meetings of this association. Another quite interesting element is the so-called Masonic altar in the staircase.
Museum
Today, the palace in Śmiełów operates as the Adam Mickiewicz Museum. Apart from numerous intriguing memorabilia of the poet, the collection also includes translations of his works into rare languages, a school library register from Mickiewicz’s youth, and handwritten letters. As Adam Mickiewicz was a 19th-century celebrity, his image appeared on a variety of objects designed to ensure his “marketing success”.