Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pyzdry

Looking at Pyzdry from the bridge over the Warta, your eye is drawn to a tall brick tower with battlements. It looks like part of a castle, but it is the tower of the parish church – the Gothic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The battlements are younger than they appear: they date from the second half of the 19th century, and before the war the tower still had a tall spire. The church stands on Farna Street, a few steps from the market square.

History: out of ashes and fires

The first record of a church in Pyzdry dates from 1265, when Bishop Falenta of Poznań was consecrated here. In 1331 the town was destroyed by the Teutonic Knights and the church was plundered. Sources differ on when the present church was built: it may have gone up during the rebuilding of the town in 1333–1339 under Casimir the Great, but heritage records date the surviving nave to the second half of the 15th century. The church later became a collegiate church – in 1519 or 1525, depending on the source.

The church burned many times, including in the great town fire of 1768, and side aisles were added during later rebuilds, which cost the interior its Gothic character. A thorough restoration took place in 1865–1870, the church was re-Gothicised in 1958–1961, and the nave paintings were conserved in 2005–2007. Between the wars the tower still had a spire, which was taken down just before the Second World War because it was struck by lightning so often.

What to look for

• The tower on the west side – three storeys with a flat roof and crenellation; it looks best from the bridge over the Warta.
• The façades of brick on a fieldstone plinth, with buttresses and pointed windows. On the east wall of the sacristy you can make out faint dates of rebuilding.
• The interior – three aisles with sail vaults and a three-sided chancel.
• The south sacristy with a Gothic rib vault on stone corbels and a keystone showing the Lamb of God.
• A late Gothic stone font and an early 16th-century crucifix – the oldest furnishings.

Tripto tip

This is a working parish church with no fixed visiting hours, so the easiest time to go in is before or after Mass; do not sightsee during services. The sacristy is not always open – ask at the parish about the Lamb of God vault. Allow 20–30 minutes for outside and inside. On the way, stop at the hill with the former Franciscan friary, home to the Pyzdry Land Museum, and from there take the mosaic steps down to the Warta.