Collegiate church in Tum

The Collegiate Church in Tum (say "toom") – the Archcollegiate Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Alexius near Łęczyca – is one of Poland's finest Romanesque buildings. With two apses, four towers and thick stone walls, it rises from the fields of central Poland like a fortress. Consecrated in 1161, it hosted medieval church councils, was burned to a shell in 1939 and rebuilt after the war. Since 2022 it has been a Polish Monument of History.

Where it is and how to get there

Tum is a village about 2 km from the small town of Łęczyca (say "wen-CHI-tsah") and roughly 40 km north of Łódź; Warsaw is around two hours away by car. From Łęczyca, take regional road 703 toward Piątek and turn south at Kwiatkówek. Without a car, take a train or bus to Łęczyca, then walk the 2 km or take a taxi.

A short history

A Benedictine abbey stood here before the present church, next to the early medieval stronghold of Łęczyca – older research linked it to the time of King Bolesław the Brave, newer studies date it to the late 11th century at the earliest. Construction of the Romanesque collegiate church probably began around 1149 under Archbishop Janik of Gniezno, and it was consecrated on May 21, 1161, in the presence of all Polish bishops and dukes. Between 1181 and 1547 it hosted 21 provincial church synods.

Built of granite, sandstone and fieldstone, the church also served as a refuge. It withstood the Mongols in 1241 but was captured and burned by Lithuanian raiders in 1293 or 1294. Later Gothic and Neoclassical remodelings changed its appearance, and in September 1939, during the Battle of the Bzura – one of the largest battles of the German invasion of Poland – the church burned and was left a roofless ruin.

Reconstruction began in 1947 and restored its Romanesque character. Workers uncovered a rare 12th-century fresco of Christ Pantocrator in the western apse and, in 1954, the foundations of the earlier abbey. The church became an archcollegiate church in 1992 and on April 12, 2022 was named a Monument of History – the highest national heritage designation in Poland.

Things to see

• The silhouette – two apses and four towers, two tall and square, two lower and round. Local legend says the grooves on the tower edges are claw marks left by the devil Boruta, who tried to topple the church.
• The Romanesque portal with a carved tympanum of the Virgin and Child, sheltered by a Renaissance porch from 1569.
• The Christ Pantocrator fresco in the vault of the western apse, a rare survival of Romanesque wall painting in Poland.
• The interior, with galleries, Gothic brick arcades in the side aisles and a bronze crucifix by sculptor Józef Gosławski.
• St. Nicholas Church, a small 18th-century wooden church next door.

Good to know

• In 1999 a relic of St. Adalbert (Wojciech), Poland's patron saint, was brought here from Gniezno, and since 2000 the church has been a diocesan shrine to him.
• The church celebrated the 850th anniversary of its consecration in 2011 with the Polish president in attendance.
• Polish readers may recognize Tum as the model for the fictional church in a popular 1970s adventure novel by Zbigniew Nienacki.

Opening hours and practical information

As of October 2026, according to the parish:

• The tourist season runs from early May to mid-October. During the season, the church is open Wednesday–Saturday 10:00–18:00 and Sunday between services and 13:15–18:00; closed Monday and Tuesday. The visitor rules mention a cleaning break from 14:00 to 15:00.
• Out of season – including the whole winter of 2026/27 – only groups can visit, by prior arrangement: phone +48 793 760 107, email mdktum@gmail.com.
• A visit takes about 25 minutes. Modest dress (covered shoulders) is required, flash photography is not allowed, and there is no sightseeing during services. A toilet is 30 m from the church.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially for lovers of medieval architecture – Tum is a strikingly photogenic Romanesque church, easily combined with a trip from Łódź. In winter, individual travelers can still admire the exterior and portal, and see the interior during Sunday Mass. The museum in Łęczyca Castle has an exhibition about the collegiate church and the old stronghold.