Church of St Michael the Archangel, Olesno

Olesno's oldest church is nicknamed the "Church of Angels" – more than 50 depictions of angels have been counted inside. The Gothic Church of St Michael the Archangel, built after 1374, burned and was rebuilt many times, and one of its bells returned to the tower after almost 70 years of wandering around Germany. It is a story worth knowing before you step inside.

History

The first record of St Michael's dates from 1226, when it was probably a wooden parish church. In 1353 Augustinian friars arrived in Olesno, and in 1374 Duke Władysław of Opole granted them patronage of the parish and permission to build a new brick Gothic church. The church burned in 1395, 1578, 1642 and 1722. In 1627 the interior was plundered by Wallenstein's troops. After the 1722 fire it was rebuilt in its present form and given a tower, which had to be taken down in 1822 because it was cracking. The current tower dates from 1856–1857.

In 1935 the new Corpus Christi Church became the parish church, and St Michael's became a chapel of ease.

The bell that came back from Bavaria

In 1942 the Germans confiscated the church bells for the war effort. The "St Michael" bell ended up in a bell graveyard near Hamburg but was never melted down. In 1952 it was handed to Passau, and the diocese there passed it to the church in Thalberg, where it rang for almost 60 years. At the end of 2011 it was brought back to Olesno, and in April 2013 it was rehung in its own tower.

What to see

• The Gothic portal from around 1400 and the wall with a small arcade and gate surrounding the church.
• The interior – Gothic walls with Baroque furnishings after a remodelling in 1753. The chancel retains a vault with mid-17th-century stucco decoration.
• The 17th-century high altar with a painting of St Michael, a Baroque pulpit and a 17th-century font.
• The angels – count them yourself; there are more than fifty.
• Copper doors made in 2006, with figurative scenes.

Tripto tip

The church is at ulica Kościelna 2, right by the market square, and its tall tower is visible from all over the centre. Allow 15–30 minutes. As a chapel of ease it is open less often than the parish church – you are most likely to find the doors open before services. Combine your visit with the wooden pilgrimage Church of St Anne from 1518 on the edge of town.