The 200-year-old image of Our Lady of Licheń , venerated as a miracle worker , was originally kept in the local Dorothee Church . In 1994 the foundation stone was laid for a new church in honor of the Virgin Mary , in whose high altar the picture of the Madonna was placed in 2006. On June 7, 1999, John Paul II blessed the church under construction. On June 12, 2004, after a ten-year construction period, the three- aisled basilica with a central dome and a transept, designed by architect Barbara Bielecka from Gdynia and largely financed by donations, was completed. On February 25, 2005, John Paul II elevated the church to the papal minor basilica .
The size and furnishings of the new church are considerable, and so the church is the largest in Poland and the eighth largest in Europe. It is 139 m long and 77 m wide. The cross on the central dome is 103.5 m above the ground, the church tower is the highest in Poland at 141.5 m. The 68 m high bell tower also features the “Theotokos” - weighing 15 tons , 3.12 m in diameter and 4.40 m in height, it is the largest bell in Poland and third in Europe. Even the second largest church bell, "Josef", weighs 11.6 tonnes, just above the largest bell in Poland, the Sigismund bell . A flight of 33 steps, which symbolize the 33 years of Jesus Christ's life, leads to the church. The forecourt holds around 250,000 people. The church is visited by numerous pilgrims. The basilica is looked after by the Order of the Marians .
organ
View of the organ
Central housing
View of one of the side works
The largest organ in Poland with 20,000 pipes can be found in the Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń . The instrument was built by the Zych company in 2004. It has 154 stops on four manual works and a pedal . The key actions on the main organ and side organ are mechanical, the west and east presbytery organs and the east gallery organ can be controlled electrically from the six-manual central console (builder Otto Heuss from Lich, Germany). Register actions are electric. The main organ (south pore) is divided into three organ cases: The main case is flanked by two identical side cases. The side organ (west gallery) has a housing. The remaining works are divided.
I main work C – c 4
1.
Pryncypał
16 ′
2.
Bourdon
16 ′
3.
Pryncypał
8th'
4th
Flet harmon.
8th'
5.
Gamba
8th'
6th
Copula
8th'
7th
Dolce
8th'
8th.
Kwinta
5 1 ⁄ 3 ′
9.
Pryncypał
4 ′
10.
Flet
4 ′
11.
Tercja
3 1 ⁄ 5 ′
12.
Salicet
4 ′
13.
Kwinta
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
14th
Duplicate
2 ′
15th
Size Fittings IV
16.
Size Cymbel V
17th
Mixtura VI
18th
Cymbel
19th
Bombard
16 ′
20th
Bassoon
16 ′
21st
Trumpet
8th'
22nd
Obój
8th'
23.
Clairon
4 ′
II Swell C – c 4
24.
Violon
16 ′
25th
Flet harm.
8th'
26th
diapason
8th'
27.
Salicionał
8th'
28.
Flet
4 ′
29
Pryncypał
4 ′
30th
viola
4 ′
31.
Kwinta
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
32.
Picollo
2 ′
33.
Sesquialtera III
34.
Plein jeu V
35.
Sharp III
36.
Dulcjan
16 ′
37.
Jannhorn
8th'
38.
Cromorne
8th'
39.
clarinet
8th'
III Swell C – c 4
40.
Covered
16 ′
41.
Pryncypał
8th'
42.
Rurflet
8th'
43.
Flute trav.
8th'
44.
Gamba
8th'
45.
Voix Celeste
8th'
46.
Oktawa
4 ′
47.
viola
4 ′
48.
Flute trav.
4 ′
49.
Nasard
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
50.
Duplicate
2 ′
51.
Fittings IV – V
52.
Cornet V
53.
Basson
16 ′
54.
Trumpet
8th'
55.
Vox humana
8th'
56.
Obój
8th'
57.
Clairon harm.
4 ′
IV Solo work C – c 4
58.
Flauto major
8th'
59.
Gamba
8th'
60.
Keraulophon
8th'
61.
Cornet V
62.
Tuba mirabilis
8th'
Pedals C – f 1
63.
Sub-contrabas
32 ′
64.
Pryncypał
16 ′
65.
Violonbas
16 ′
66.
Subbas
16 ′
67.
Kwintbas
10 2 ⁄ 3 ′
68.
Fletbas
8th'
69.
Flet
8th'
70.
Octavbas
8th'
71.
cello
8th'
72.
Chorałbas
4 ′
73.
Okaryna
2 ′
74.
Sequialtera III
75.
Backset V
76.
Mixtura IV
77.
K. Bombard
32 ′
78.
Bombard
16 ′
79.
Quintetrumpet
10 2 ⁄ 3 ′
80.
Trumpet
8th'
81.
Clairon
4 ′
Coupling : II / I, III / I, IV / I, III / II, IV / II, IV / III, I / P, II / P, III / P, IV / P
