Od 1959 r.

The 12th century engraved floor in Wiślica is one of the most valuable artefacts in Polish Romanesque art. It is almost entirely preserved and exposed in situ, which distinguishes it from other Estrich gypsum floors from that period in Europe. It is located in the crypt of the earlier of the two Romanesque churches, preceding the Gothic one. The history of the floor and its conservation is intertwined with the history of the crypt and the conditions of its immediate surroundings, i.e. the explored space under the Gothic col legiate church, its foundations, remains of the late Romanesque church, archaeological reminders and sections, along with changing climatic and microbiological conditions. This exeptional cultural heritage material, of which we are the heirs, and in particular the engraved gypsum floor in all its complexity, is a witness to real events and was created by the will of historical figures of that time – the rulers of this land, who determined its endogenous values in their personal representations of content. This paper covers a set of conservation issues that occurred in the acts undertaken in Wiślica, what those works involved, what difficulties were encountered and how they were solved. Someone who from the very beginning witnessed numerous archaeological discoveries there, and whose conservator’s biography was closely related to the monuments of Wiślica, was Professor Władysław Zalewski. Therefore – in the review of the works in Wiślica – the leitmotif is that outstanding figure of Polish art conservation.