Church of the Visitation in Ujazd

On the eastern edge of Ujazd, on the road to Pyskowice, stands a Gothic Revival church that locals have long called Studzionka, "the little well". The name comes from a spring beside which a wooden chapel stood in the 18th century; German-speaking residents called it the Brünnelkirche. Pilgrims still come here today.

History: from a chapel by a spring to a pilgrimage church

The first wooden chapel was built here in 1759. The masonry church was designed by local master builder Karol Heinze; the foundation stone was laid in 1858 and the building was completed in 1861. Its estimated cost of 18,000 thalers was covered by donations from parishioners and the faithful of the surrounding area. Among those who pledged help were town councillor and gingerbread maker Franz Mrozik, master carpenter Józef Dachnowski and master weaver Józef Gojny; the parish priest at the time was Fr Antoni Möser.

The church is a chapel of ease of St Andrew's parish in Ujazd. The whole complex – church, churchyard, spring chapel, wall with gate and stone cross – is a listed monument.

What to see

• The church – grey, Gothic Revival, with a tall west tower and pointed windows. On one side is an octagonal annexe with a conical roof and lantern.
• The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa – the focus of pilgrimages to Studzionka.
• The spring chapel – a small building in the churchyard where the spring is enclosed.
• The grotto – an outdoor altar in a grotto built of fieldstones, used for open-air celebrations.

Did you know?

According to local tradition, water from the Studzionka spring helps with eye ailments – the story is linked to the founding of the chapel and later the church. Ujazd has two historic churches: the Baroque parish church of St Andrew in the centre and this Gothic Revival pilgrimage church outside town.

Tripto tip

The church lies outside the built-up area on the road towards Pyskowice, about a kilometre from the market square and the ruined bishops' castle. You can see the churchyard with the grotto and spring chapel from outside in 20–30 minutes; the interior usually opens for services and the patronal feast. It combines well with the bishops' castle in Ujazd and the miniature park in Olszowa.