St Michael the Archangel Church in Binarowa

In Binarowa it is hard to find a patch of wall without paint: the ceilings are covered in Gothic plant ornament, the walls in Baroque picture cycles, and even the confessionals are painted. This log church from around 1500 was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003 together with other wooden churches of southern Lesser Poland, and its paintings were judged the finest of the whole group. On top of that come Gothic sculptures older than the building itself.

History: from village charter to UNESCO

Binarowa, about 4 km north-west of Biecz, received its founding charter on 23 June 1348 from the chancery of King Casimir the Great; one lan (a medieval land unit) was set aside to support the parish. A church is recorded in 1415, and the present one – probably the second – was built around 1500 after its predecessor burned down. The tower was added in 1596 and is regarded as the oldest known wooden church tower.

In 1641–1650 the church was thoroughly remodelled: the Guardian Angels chapel was added, the tower got a new top and new scenes were painted on the walls. Alterations around 1900 badly disfigured it – shingles were replaced with sheet metal and boards. From 1992 the original look was restored: shingles returned, and in 1998 the tower regained its original shape.

What to see

• Stencilled ceiling paintings from the early 16th century – plant motifs signed by the painter with the initials "M K B" and a mason's mark.
• Baroque picture cycles on the nave walls, and 1655 paintings in the Guardian Angels chapel.
• Gothic Virgin and Child from about 1380 and reliefs of four virgin saints from about 1410 – remains of an altar older than the church.
• High altar from the early 17th century, modelled on the one in Biecz parish church, with a Madonna from about 1425–1430.
• Our Lady of the Sands (Matka Boża Piaskowa), a venerated 17th-century copy of the image in Kraków's Carmelite church, in the left side altar.
• Passion group on the rood beam, painted confessionals, a stone font from the early 16th century and Gothic ironwork on the door.

Good to know

The church inspired poet Miron Białoszewski to write "An Old Song over Binarowa" in 1956, and Stanisław Wyspiański sketched its interior. The brick bell tower of 1898 holds, among others, a 15th-century Gothic bell with a minuscule inscription. Every Wednesday the parish holds a novena to Our Lady of the Sands.

Tripto tip

According to the parish website, guided visits are possible on Wednesdays 9:00–17:00, Thursday to Saturday 9:00–18:00 and Sundays 12:00–17:00. No sightseeing during Mass and services. The page was set up with the Małopolska Tourist Organisation and shows no update date, so phone the guide before you go (+48 692 385 244). Allow 30–45 minutes for the interior. Address: Binarowa 409, 38-340 Biecz. Combine the visit with Biecz and the Baroque wooden church in Szalowa.