Church of St Mary Magdalene in Kasina Wielka

In Kasina Wielka, in the Island Beskids between the peaks of Lubogoszcz, Śnieżnica, Ćwilin and Wierzbanowska Góra, there are two churches: a new one of brick and an old wooden one from 1678. The latter, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, is on the Lesser Poland Wooden Architecture Route. It has kept its Baroque wall paintings, a 17th-century Crucifixion group on the rood beam and an organ from 1835.

History

The first church in Kasina was founded in the 16th century by Jan Niewiarowski, brother of the village's owner, and consecrated in 1624. In 1678 the present church was built in its place. The tower was added later: the Wooden Architecture Route gives a date two years after the church was built, while other sources link it to a renovation in 1760. Parish functions have passed to the new Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa, consecrated in 1999, to which the painting of Our Lady of Bochnia, among other items, was moved.

Architecture

The church faces east and has a single nave. The nave and polygonal chancel are built of horizontal logs, while the square tower with its small belfry storey has a post-and-beam frame clad in boards. Two annexes and a porch with an ogee-shaped gable adjoin the tower. Everything is covered by a shingle roof with a small bell turret, and the tower is crowned by an onion-shaped shingled cap with a lantern.

What to see inside

• Wall paintings in Baroque style: the Coronation of the Virgin above the nave, and scenes from the history of the Dominican order above the vestibule under the tower.
• The Crucifixion group on the rood beam: a 17th-century crucifix with figures of the Virgin and St John cut from planks.
• The late Baroque high altar with an old figure of Mary Magdalene, covered by a painting of St Hedwig, and statues of Saints Peter and Paul.
• The organ of 1835 by Marcin Pracz of Pcim, and a 17th-century wall-mounted font.

Did you know?

The railway line from Chabówka to Nowy Sącz, said to be the highest in Poland, runs through Kasina. At the local station, whose building dates from 1884, Steven Spielberg filmed scenes for "Schindler's List" in 1993, and Andrzej Wajda later shot scenes for his film "Katyń". Several valuable paintings from the church's former furnishings are now in the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów.

Tripto tip

As the new church serves the parish, ask St Mary Magdalene's parish in advance if you would like to see the interior of the wooden church. Half an hour is enough to look at the exterior and walk around it. A visit combines easily with a hike up Śnieżnica or a trip to Mszana Dolna.