St Florian's Chapel in Goniądz

On a grassy hill behind St Agnes' Church stands a white chapel with a red roof, a tall wooden cross beside it. This is St Florian's Chapel, one of Goniądz's listed monuments. A short climb leads up to it, and the reward is an open view over the small town and the surroundings of the Biebrza valley.

History

The chapel was built in 1864 on the hill, on the site of a former hospital cemetery, about 200 metres from the parish buildings. St Florian is the patron of firefighters and protector against fire – a fitting dedication in Goniądz. The town was destroyed in the First World War, when the front line ran along the Biebrza; the wooden parish church burned in 1921, and in 1944 Goniądz was 80% destroyed. The chapel itself survived all of this.

What to see

• The building – oriented east, on a rectangular plan with a semicircular apse. It is built of brick and plainly rendered, without decoration.
• The windows – round-arched, with radiating glazing bars.
• The façade with small pinnacles topped by wrought-iron crosses.
• The interior with a carved crucifix, painted saints on either side and a figure of St Florian on the ceiling.
• The hilltop with a tall wooden cross and a view of the area, including the town of Goniądz.

Tripto tip

Walk up the hill from St Agnes' Church to reach the chapel. Fifteen minutes is enough, and it is at its most atmospheric at sunset. Ask at St Agnes' parish about seeing the interior.