Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Stara Wieś

On a cemetery hill in Stara Wieś near Wilamowice stands a wooden church whose construction date, 1522, has been confirmed by tree-ring dating. Shingled roofs, covered walkways around the walls and late Gothic portals with "donkey-back" arches make it one of the most rewarding stops on the Silesian Wooden Architecture Route. The village has a surprising history too: in the Middle Ages it was called Old Wilamowice.

History: Old Wilamowice and the Starowieyski family

In tithe and Peter's Pence registers from 1325–1328, Stara Wieś appears as Stare Wilamowice (Villa Antiqua), and today's Wilamowice as the "new" one. This shows that the settlement was moved to a new site, while some of the inhabitants stayed in the old one. Even then there was a parish with a church and priest here, and the village had about 210 inhabitants.

The present church was built in 1522. According to the parish, its founder was most probably Henryk Starowiejski of the Nowina coat of arms, owner of Lower Stara Wieś (some studies name the Biberstein-Starowieyski family, who took over the estate after his death). Bishop Dominik Małachowski consecrated it on 3 July 1530. A tower was added in the 17th century, the roof and interior were remodelled in 1787, and in 1926 the wall between the nave and tower was opened up to enlarge the church. It was entered in the heritage register in 1934.

What to look for

• The soboty: covered walkways around the walls with Stations of the Cross; under the northern ones lie sandstone tombstones moved from inside. Look at the sill beams too: the lowest logs were laid unevenly, and the slope was corrected in the rows above.
• Two late Gothic portals with "donkey-back" (ogee) lintels.
• The high altar, which keeps a panel from a 16th-century triptych: the Virgin and Child with St Barbara and St Catherine, with the Crucifixion at the top.
• The side altar of Our Lady of the Rosary, from before 1748, with the venerated early 17th-century image of Our Lady of Stara Wieś.
• Wall paintings in the chancel from the 16th, 18th and 19th centuries, and marbled cornices of 1787, uncovered and conserved in 2009–2012.

Interesting facts

In 1572 Jan Przypkowski, owner of Upper Stara Wieś, was one of the first in Poland to free his peasants from serfdom. When he sold the estate in 1599 to Andrzej Biberstein Starowieyski, the new owner reinstated serfdom and in 1600 was killed by rebellious peasants. The Starowieyski family also produced Blessed Stanisław Kostka Starowieyski, who was tortured to death in Dachau in 1941.

Tripto tip

This is a working parish church with no fixed visiting hours; the easiest way to see the interior is just before or after Mass, and the parish office is open on weekdays after Mass. The church is on the Wooden Architecture Route of the Silesian Voivodeship. Stone steps lead up through the cemetery, making access difficult for wheelchair users. Allow 30–45 minutes for the exterior and interior, and combine the visit with neighbouring Wilamowice, the medieval "new" Wilamowice.