Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Czchów

From the market square in Czchów you see a stepped brick gable above a stone church – one of the oldest churches along the Dunajec river. Its chancel was built before 1360, probably funded by King Casimir the Great, and its east wall contains stones from an even older, Romanesque church of the 12th century. The real treasure is inside: Gothic wall paintings, including a rare scene with Pope Urban V.

History

The present church was built in two stages. First came the stone chancel, reusing blocks from the Romanesque building – including part of a frieze that still decorates the east façade. Around 1450 the nave was added, and in the 15th or 16th century a tower. In 1841, for fear of collapse, the tower was cut down to its first storey. In the 18th century a domed chapel was added to the chancel, and around 1900 a Gothic Revival gable and a bell turret.

An interesting episode came in 1551–1554, when the church belonged to the Lutherans. The parish priest then was Francesco Lismanini – provincial of the Franciscans, confessor to Queen Bona and one of the leading Polish reformers.

The chancel paintings

The Gothic wall paintings were made in three phases, from the second half of the 14th century to the first quarter of the 15th. They were uncovered in 1890–1896, conserved in the 1960s, and most recently restored in 2008–2019. A Passion cycle survives on the north wall. The later phase brought scenes including the Birth of Mary, the Coronation of the Virgin, the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Virgin of Mercy and the Apotheosis of Pope Urban V – a rare subject in Polish art. The youngest is a Pietà with angels from the early 15th century.

What to see

• The rib vaults of the chancel with round bosses, resting on stone corbels shaped as masks.
• The tomb of Kasper Wielogłowski (d. 1564) in red marble and sandstone, with a standing figure, attributed to Hieronim Canavesi, and the tomb of his wife.
• The late Gothic stone font of 1506.
• A Pietà from around the mid-15th century in the right side altar.
• Gothic portals – one pointed, one rectangular – and the round stair turret by the tower.
• The domed chapel with a 17th-century painting of Our Lady of the Snows.

Tripto tip

The church is by the market square, a few minutes' walk from the tower of Czchów Castle on the hill. You can see the interior before or after Mass – allow 30 minutes and look at the chancel walls closely. A wooden bell tower stands nearby. Combine the visit with a view of Lake Czchów and Tropsztyn Castle across the water.