Basilica of St Mary and St Bartholomew in Piekary Śląskie

In 1680 Emperor Leopold I asked for the image of Our Lady of Piekary to be brought to plague-stricken Prague, where it was carried in procession through the streets. Three years later King John III Sobieski prayed before it on his way to the Battle of Vienna. Today the neo-Romanesque basilica holds a 17th-century copy, because the original has been in Opole since 1702. Piekary is often called the spiritual capital of Upper Silesia, and on the hill nearby lies a Calvary built entirely with the donations and labour of local people.

History: an icon, plagues and pilgrimages

A small wooden church of St Bartholomew stood here from 1303. Devotion to the image of the Virgin began in the 17th century: according to parish priest Jakub Roczkowski, healings were reported after the picture was moved to the high altar in 1659. In 1676 pilgrims came from plague-hit Tarnowskie Góry, the first of the so-called vowed pilgrimages. In 1702, for fear of war, the original image was taken to the Holy Cross Church in Opole, where it has stayed. People still kept coming to Piekary to pray before the copy.

The present neo-Romanesque church was built on the initiative of Father Jan Alojzy Ficek, parish priest from 1826. Local parishioners built it themselves and raised the money too. It was consecrated by Bishop Melchior von Diepenbrock of Wrocław on 22 August 1849. In 1962 Pope John XXIII made it a minor basilica.

What to see

• The image of Our Lady of Piekary (99 × 77 cm), a late 17th-century copy of the Hodegetria type with an apple in Mary's right hand. It was crowned in 1925 with crowns from Pope Pius XI.
• Paradise Square (Rajski Plac) with St Raphael's Chapel, which holds the altar from the original wooden church, and stone statues of the 12 Apostles on the churchyard wall.
• The Piekary Calvary on Cerekwica Hill: almost 10 hectares with 14 Stations of the Cross chapels, 15 rosary chapels and 11 others, centred on the neo-Gothic Church of the Resurrection (1893–1896).
• The Sanctuary Museum (opened 2009) with votive offerings, an 18th-century monstrance from Empress Eleonora and a room of mementoes of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła.

Interesting facts

The Prussian authorities refused to allow a new church on the Calvary. The parish found a way round it: the Church of the Resurrection was presented as three linked chapels, Stations XI, XII and XIII. Cardinal Georg Kopp consecrated the Calvary on 21 June 1896, according to the parish in the presence of 175,000 faithful. The papal crowns of the image were stolen twice, in 1940 and 1984; the crowns taken in 1984 returned to the basilica in 2015. Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II, preached at the men's pilgrimages from 1965 to 1978 and gave the Piekary Madonna the title Mother of Justice and Social Love.

Tripto tip

The basilica is at ul. ks. Ficka 7. Entry to the church and the Calvary is free, but sightseeing is not possible during Mass, so check the service times on the parish website. The biggest crowds come for the annual pilgrimages: men on the last Sunday of May and women on the Sunday after 15 August, when 70,000 to 100,000 pilgrims arrive. Pick another date if you prefer quiet. Allow 1.5–2 hours for the basilica and a walk round the Calvary. The museum and guided tours must be arranged in advance with the pilgrimage centre.