Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Chróścina Opolska

The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Chróścina Opolska, a village in the commune of Lewin Brzeski, looks today like a classicist temple, yet its history reaches back to the Middle Ages — the first mention of a church on this site comes from 1371.

From the Middle Ages to classicism

In 1417 Wacław II of Legnica, Bishop of Wrocław, approved the foundation of an altar in the then church. From 1601 to 1810 the church was under the patronage of the Norbertine sisters of Czarnowąsy. After a fire, it was rebuilt in 1792–1793 using the surviving walls — hence the present classicist appearance of a building whose core still conceals older fabric.

Interior

The church is oriented, built of brick, plastered and single-aisled, vaulted with sail vaults, with a narrower, almost square presbytery and a sacristy added on the north side; to the west rises the base of an unfinished tower. Inside you will see a Baroque baptismal font from the late 18th century with a dolphin-shaped base and a cover depicting the Baptism of Christ, plus altars from the same period — the high altar with figures of Saints Peter and Paul.

The gate belfry and surroundings

In front of the church, on the southern side, stands a three-storey gate belfry attributed to the 15th century; it leads onto the churchyard and cemetery, and its upper part was reconstructed in the 20th century. The church stands at ul. Kościelna 2, and nearby you can see the historic manor house in Chróścina, which today houses a school complex.