Church of St Florian in Jedlec

The Church of St Florian in Jedlec is a late-Baroque church from 1745–1753, built in half-timbering: a timber frame filled with brick and clay. The black-and-white body with its dark tower and red roof hides a uniform Rococo interior, and the parish history goes back to 1310. The wind blew down earlier wooden churches here twice.

History: a church built to withstand gales

In 1309 Jedlec was an estate of the Knights Hospitaller of Poznań, and a year later a parish and the first wooden church of St Florian were founded here. In the 17th century, when the village belonged to the Leszczyński family, a second wooden church was built. According to the parish chronicle, in 1737, on St Agnes's Day, a strong wind overturned this small church, and in 1745 a gale again destroyed the church and the whole village.

The present church was funded by Mikołaj Chlebowski, starost of Liw, and his wife Anna née Świniarska. The date 1753 survives on the porch. On 10 October 1802 Bishop Michał Kosmowski consecrated the church and its high altar, adding the Immaculate Conception to the dedication. In 1933 the provincial authorities recognised the church as a historic monument, as an example of late-Baroque building.

What to see

• Post-and-frame construction filled with brick and clay – a single-nave hall interior without a separate chancel, with a three-sided east end.
• A timber tower at the front with a metal cupola and lantern, plus a square ridge turret on the roof.
• Rococo furnishings from the 18th century: the high altar and two side altars, the pulpit, a holy-water stoup and a font in the shape of the Tree of Paradise.
• A Rococo organ case from the second half of the 18th century on a gallery supported by two posts.
• Ceiling paintings from 1977–1978 by the painter Szukała of Poznań.

Curiosities

The high altar holds relics of St Victoria. The old relics of the patron saint disappeared in 1832; new relics of St Florian were solemnly installed on 6 May 2007. In 1852 cholera killed about 100 people in Jedlec. Fr Józef Pawlicki, who cared for the sick, died of the disease himself and was buried in the churchyard behind the chancel.

Tripto tips

• This is an active parish church in Gołuchów municipality. In October 2026 the parish listed weekday Masses at 17:00 – check current times at parafiaflorianjedlec.pl.
• The building is best seen from the side, from the churchyard, where the half-timbering pattern and both towers are visible.
• Allow 20–30 minutes; Jedlec combines well with a trip to Gołuchów.