Franciscan Church (Holy Trinity Church), Opole

The Franciscan Church in Opole, officially the Church of the Holy Trinity, is the burial place of the medieval Piast dukes of Opole and one of the most precious historic buildings in the city. Its St. Anne's Chapel, known as the Piast Chapel, holds carved 14th-century ducal tombs, and the crypt preserves a wall painting from around 1320 – described as the oldest surviving early Gothic mural in Silesia. The church stands just off the Market Square, so it fits easily into an old town walk.

History in brief

Franciscan friars settled in Opole in the 13th century. Their brick church went up from the mid-1200s; after a fire in 1307 it was rebuilt from 1309. Standing close to the dukes' castle on the island of Ostrówek (demolished in 1928; only the Piast Tower survives), it served as the court church. During the Swedish invasion of Poland in 1655–1656, King John Casimir's chancellery worked from the friary, and a royal proclamation calling the nation to rise against the Swedes was announced in the refectory on November 30, 1655. From 1820 to 1945, when Opole (Oppeln) was a Prussian and later German city, the church was used by the Protestant congregation; the Franciscans returned after the war.

The Piast Chapel and the crypt

St. Anne's Chapel has a star vault with a golden crowned eagle on a blue background – the arms of the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz. Beneath it are the tombs of Dukes Bolko I, Bolko II and Bolko III and Duchess Anna, made in 1378–1382. The altar triptych shows St. Anne with the founding dukes, among them Władysław of Opole, who also founded the famous Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa.

The crypt under the chancel holds the remains of eight dukes and five duchesses, and a Crucifixion fresco from about 1320. Look out too for the 1931 Sauer organ in an 18th-century case and the Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk outside.

Opening hours and how to visit

According to the friars' website (as of October 2026), the church and its chapels, including the Piast Chapel, are open to visitors on weekdays 10:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. and on Sundays 1:00–6:00 p.m. Entry is free. The crypt is shown by a friar: individual visitors can see it Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., if they book at the friary porter's office at least three days in advance (phone +48 77 454 89 09, weekday mornings). Avoid Mass times. Allow about 30 minutes for the church, an hour with the crypt.

Getting there and nearby

The church is at Plac Wolności 2, about 120 meters south of the Town Hall, beside the Młynówka canal and a 10-minute walk from Opole Główne station. Opole is about an hour from Wrocław by car or train. Nearby: the Town Hall tower, the canal-side "Opole Venice," the Groszowy footbridge and the Piast Tower.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely, if you are interested in medieval Poland: few places show the Piast dynasty's legacy as directly as these tombs.