St Stephen's Church in Mnichów

On the E77 road from Kielce to Kraków, in Mnichów near Jędrzejów, stands a wooden church that looks nothing like a typical village church. It was built of larch on a Latin-cross plan, with two small towers on the facade and an octagonal dome with a lantern over the crossing. Roman Mirowski, an expert on the wooden churches of the Świętokrzyskie region, counted it among the most interesting examples in Poland of Baroque architecture built in wood, and its interior has Rococo furnishings that are rare in wooden churches.

History: Father Łubieński's foundation

The exact building date is unknown. The years 1731 and 1754 are sometimes given, but the period 1765–1770 is most commonly accepted, and the foundation charter dates from 13 February 1770. The founder is believed to be Father Maciej Łubieński, then owner of the Mnichów estate and later archdeacon of Kraków and dean of Gniezno. The church and belfry are listed in the heritage register (no. A-107).

What to see

• The building itself — larch walls, steep pitched roofs over the nave, chancel and transept, two low turrets with lanterns at the front and the dome over the crossing.
• The Rococo high altar of larch wood, with the Holy Trinity at the top and the martyr saints Matthias and Stephen, the church's patron, below.
• Rococo furnishings, including an organ decorated with Rococo ornament; the interior is made of larch and lime wood.
• The octagonal wooden belfry, dated to 1758 thanks to a weathervane bearing that date which once crowned it. Its two bells were hidden from the Germans during the Second World War.
• The 18th-century park, extended in the second half of the 19th century and also listed as a heritage site.

Did you know?

Mnichów is home to the "Mnich" ("Monk") oak, estimated at 500–700 years old; its trunk measures 7.1 m around at a height of 1.3 m and 10.2 m at ground level. According to local legend, it grew where the monk Rotwald, founder of the settlement, died defending a woman from robbers.

Tripto tip

The church stands on the E77 road in Mnichów, Jędrzejów municipality, so it is an easy stop between Kielce and Kraków. It is the active parish church of St Stephen's parish; the interior is most reliably seen before or after Mass, and for visits on other days it is worth asking at the parish office. Allow 20–30 minutes for the church and belfry. The visit combines easily with the nearby town of Jędrzejów, the seat of the municipality and county.