Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Chróścina

In front of the Neoclassical church in Chróścina stands something much older: a squat 15th-century bell-tower gateway, built of brown bog iron ore and brick, with a pointed archway. For centuries it has been the way into the churchyard. The church itself looks like a late 18th-century building, but it stands on the walls of a much older one, first recorded in 1371.

History

Chróścina lies in the municipality of Dąbrowa in Opole County, in the region of Opole Silesia. The church is first mentioned in 1371, and in 1417 Bishop Wenceslaus II of Legnica, Bishop of Wrocław, approved the endowment of an altar. From 1601 the village belonged to the Norbertine nuns of Czarnowąsy, who held the patronage of the church until their order was dissolved in 1810. During the Thirty Years' War the Swedes plundered the village and destroyed three of the church's altars.

The present church was built after a fire in 1792–1793, reusing the old walls. On the west side is the base of a tower that was never finished. The church (register no. 633/59) and the bell tower (634/59) have been on the heritage register since 13 November 1959.

What to look for

• The bell-tower gateway – square in plan, buttressed, with a pointed archway; bog iron ore alternates with brick laid in Polish bond.
• A Baroque font from the late 18th century – its base is shaped like dolphins and its lid carries a Baptism of Christ group.
• The high altar with figures of Saints Peter and Paul, flanked by kneeling Saints Anthony and Francis.
• Side altars – the southern one with Saints Hedwig and Barbara, the northern one with Mary and St John beside the crucifix.
• A painting of St Urban with the Chróścina church in the background – a rare chance to see how the building looked to an earlier artist.

Next to the church are a Neoclassical presbytery from around 1800 and a First World War memorial with 42 names. Mid-19th-century farm buildings survive nearby, and the parish cemetery from the second half of the 19th century is also a listed monument.

Tripto tip

The church is at ul. Kościelna 2. Allow 15–20 minutes for the gateway and exterior; as this is a working parish church, the interior is easiest to see around a service. The best photo of the gateway with the church behind it is from the square in front. Other listed monuments in the village include a manor house at ul. Niemodlińska 39 from the early 19th century and an early 19th-century windmill, so a stroll along ul. Niemodlińska is worthwhile. The Opole–Wrocław railway, opened in 1843, runs through Chróścina, so it combines easily with a visit to Opole.