Churches & monasteries

Collegiate Church of St Bartholomew in Głogówek

The Collegiate Church of St Bartholomew the Apostle in Głogówek combines a Gothic structure with one of the finest Baroque interiors in the Opole region. It stands almost beside the Market Square, and its story runs from the first parish record of 1284 through a medieval ducal foundation to a Baroque remodelling.

Gothic church and collegiate chapter

The present church was built in 1350 through a foundation by Duke Frederick of Opole-Racibórz. In 1379 it was raised to the rank of a collegiate church. Głogówek suffered during the Hussite attack of 1428, and the collegiate church was restored after later religious upheavals. The interior took its present character mainly in 1776–1781.

Frescoes, Sebastini and the Oppersdorff mausoleum

The presbytery contains frescoes by František Antonín Šebesta, while the high altar holds Sebastini’s painting of the death of St Bartholomew. Beside the presbytery stands the 16th-century Oppersdorff burial chapel with the epitaph of George III. Also look for the pulpit showing a healing by St Peter and the baptismal-font canopy with Adam and Eve.

Practical information

The collegiate church is at 2 Kościelna Street, about two minutes from the Market Square. The town’s visitor guide describes free entry and the possibility of listening to a recording about the church’s history, but it is an active place of worship, so check current access rules on the parish website. Allow 45–60 minutes for the church, chapel and a short walk through the historic centre.