Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń, Religious sanctuary in Licheń Stary, Poland.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń is a church building in Licheń Stary, crowned by a central golden dome and structured around a postmodern plan. The building combines a hall layout with several side chapels, upper-level open galleries, and a glazed drum beneath the dome summit.
Construction started in 1994 following designs by architect Barbara Bielecka and was funded through pilgrim donations gathered over a decade. The consecration took place in 2004, marking the completion of one of the largest religious building projects in post-communist Poland.
The towers hold 16 bells, including some of Poland's heaviest, which ring across the flat countryside during services. Pilgrims arrive year-round from across Europe, lighting candles inside and praying with rosaries in hand.
The interior holds up to 7000 people and offers information desks, shops, and separate rooms for quiet prayer. The upper galleries are reached by stairs and allow views over the nave and the surrounding countryside.
The organ was installed between 2002 and 2007 and ranks as the thirteenth largest worldwide with 157 stops. Its pipes range from the deepest bass to the highest registers and fill the entire space with sound during solemn occasions.
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