Research on St. James in Sandomierz (Poland)

In May 2022, in the church of St. James in Sandomierz (Poland), archaeological excavations were carried out under a research grant financed by the Jagiellonian University. The research team consists of Justyna Kamińska (JU), Małgorzata Doroz-Turek (Kielce University of Technology), Kamil Rabiega (Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw), Andrzej Gołembnik (INCEDO3D) and, as consultants, Silvia Beltramo (Polytechnic University of Turin) and Gianmario Guidarelli (University of Padua). The 13th-century Dominican church and monastery in Sandomierz form a historic architectural complex of European importance. The complex is one of the oldest Dominican convents in Europe, preserved to this day in its original shape, and a great example of the 13th-century brick architecture, distinguished by the rich ceramic decorations of the church and the monastery. Justyna Kamińska recently gave a lecture about it during the seminar ‘La città dei frati: nuove ricerche di giovani studiosi’ organized by Silvia Beltramo and Gianmario Guidarelli in October 2021.
Archaeological research carried out in May 2022 covered works in the excavation placed at the junction of the chancel and the nave of the church of St. James, supplemented by non-invasive examinations of the interior of the church with the use of GPR (Fabian Welc, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw). During the research, among others, stone slabs forming the former church floor (located approx. 30 cm below the current floor), foundations for two altars, as well as a fragment of a brick and stone wall foundation, which separated the nave from the presbytery were discovered. A fragment of a 13th-century ceramic plate decorated with a cross motif has also been found. The stratigraphy identified in the excavation and all the finds are currently being analysed by the research team. The results will be published in the form of a scientific article and presented at an international conference in 2023.

More information about the project (in Polish): https://bit.ly/3ypg8CG