The pyramid in modern art was employed early on in sepulchral architecture and it came as a quite popular phenomenon. Using this form as a building commemorating historical events was, on the other hand, much less common. A completely forgotten building of this type is a quite well preserved brick pyramid measuring 4m, built in Iłówiec in Greater Poland as a reminder of Emperor Napoleon’s stay in this location on the 16 th of July 1807. The inhabitants of the village, as a token of respect towards the great conqueror, raised this monument to commemorate his great accomplishments in Egypt in the years 1798-1801. At the turn of the 19 th century, as the main cause of building the pyramid was slowly forgotten, its top was removed during renovation works. The building was at the time crowned with a metal cruciix, while on the front wall a igure of the Holy Mother of Lourdes was placed in a niche that had been made for this purpose. In that state, the “Napoleonic” pyramid has survived until today, not always associated with the right intentions that had once been the reason for its creation. Joachim Śliwa EmpEror NapolEoN aNd a pyramid iN GrEatEr polaNd The inluence of Egyptian topics and the presence of Egyptian iconographic elements in modern art are an important issue which now constitute separate research branch. Our territories (not only as we know them today, but also in their historic borders) also provide interesting materials, unfortunately not very well known to the general public (cf. Śliwa 2009; Śliwa 2012a). A speciic role is played in this ield by such an important symbol as a pyramid, very often used in modern sepul- chral art (cf. Śliwa 200�� Śliwa 2012a). �owev� Śliwa 200�� Śliwa 2012a). �owev� 200�� Śliwa 2012a). �owev� Śliwa 2012a). �owev� 2012a). �owev- er, in Greater Poland in the village of Iłówiec a unique object was quite well preserved and of a different character, which was also shaped as a pyramid. In this case it is a commemo- rative monument connected with the stay of Emperor Napoleon I. The further fate of this monument is also interesting, mostly because of the change in its function. Iłówiec is a village situated on the Kościan Plain 1 at a local road from Czempiń to Poznań through Mosina, near the Poznań�Wrocław railroad. The oldest mentions of this loca- tion date back to the year 1300. The manor and land were home to the Iłowiecki family and were later property of the Małachowski, Szołdrski and Zaborowski families (Słownik 1882: 2�1� Białłowicz�Krygierowa 1961: 15� 16). Among the most important sites here are the palace and parish church with their in- 1 Greater Poland voivodeship, Śrem County, Brod- nica community. teriors and furnishings. The eclectic palace, dating to 1866 and situated in a 12 hectare landscape park, was built on the foundations of an older manor dating to the 1� th /18 th century (Białłowicz�Krygierowa 1961: 15�16� Szmidt 2011: 52�54� Libicki and Libicki 2010: 135). The design was completed thanks to Rolf Eberhard Lehmann’s initiative, 2 who took possession of the land from its Polish owners. Except for the palace, the entire complex also included the outbuildings of the former farm. The site currently hosts a Floriculture Station (currently being liqui- dated). Apart from the above there also is a late classicistic St Andrew’s church built during the years 1839�1841 as the previ- ous wooden church burned down in 1829 (Białłowicz�Krygierowa 1961: 15�16� Szmidt 2011: 52�54). The object we are interested in is located in the center of the village, at the crossing of two local roads. The building was shaped as a steep pyramid with such a gradient that it is more reminiscent of a massive obelisk. The proper pyramid was built on a base measur- ing approximately 1 m, crowned with a me- ticulously modeled cavetto cornice. Above rises the bulk of the pyramid itself, clearly separated from the cornice. The entire build- ing measures approximately 4 m. The pyra- 2 When he was knighted in 1908, he adopted an ad- ditional name originating from the German name of the location (von Lehmann�Nitsche). Aegyptus est imAgo cAeli . s tudies p resented to Krzysztof m. c iAłowicz on His 60 tH B irtHdAy 339