Wooden Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Krzeszów

On Rotunda hill above the San river stands a wooden church that survived the front line of the First World War, only to come close to losing a battle with its own foundations. The three-aisled Baroque church begun in 1727 is a rarity – wooden churches usually have a single nave. It was saved only by 12 years of conservation work completed in 2018.

History: three churches on one hill

The first church here probably stood as early as the 15th century and burnt down. The next was built in 1642 thanks to Katarzyna Zamoyska, but structural faults led to its demolition in 1726. Work on the present church began in 1727, and on 11 August 1744 it was consecrated by the Bishop of Przemyśl, Wacław Hieronim Sierakowski. Krzeszów was then the centre of an estate within the Zamoyski entail and an important river port on the San, from which grain was shipped. A later head of the family, Maurycy Zamoyski, paid for a restoration in 1898.

In 1914 the front line came to a halt on the San. Artillery fire destroyed about 80% of the buildings in Krzeszów, including two Eastern-rite churches and the remains of a fortified manor on the Rotunda. The church was damaged but repaired in 1920. The real danger came later: during a renovation in 1938 the foundations were made of water-absorbing brick instead of stone, and over time they rotted along with the lowest timbers. From 2006 a local heritage society named "Rotunda" led the rescue.

What to see

• The high altar with an image of the Virgin and Child, known as Our Lady of Loreto and locally as Our Lady of Krzeszów.
• The Baroque pulpit and, opposite, a chalice-shaped font.
• Altars in the transept and nave – including those of the Transfiguration, St Anne, St John of Nepomuk, St Nicholas and St Ambrose.
• The Zamoyski coats of arms – Jelita, Rawicz and Korczak – evidence of the family's patronage.
• The wooden bell tower of 1898 and a chapel of 1905 with an inscription commemorating the keeping of bones in 1824, surrounded by the old churchyard.

Interesting facts

The destruction of Krzeszów in 1914 was described by the poet and Legion soldier Kazimierz Wierzyński in his poem "Krzeszów", published in the collection "Wielka Niedźwiedzica" (The Great Bear, 1923). The church complex is a listed monument, and the bell tower and churchyard received a separate listing in 1991. The church is part of the Tarnobrzeg–Nisko route of the Subcarpathian Wooden Architecture Trail.

Tripto tip

The church is at ul. Kościelna 27. From Rudnik nad Sanem take road 77, then turn left onto road 863 into the centre of Krzeszów and continue straight along ul. Kościelna. It is an active parish church, so the interior is easiest to see just before or after a service; Mass times are published by the parish at krzeszow.org. Allow 30–45 minutes for the church, bell tower and chapel. On the same route of the trail you will find two wooden churches in Ulanów, including the so-called Raftsmen's Church.