St. Adalbert Church in Jeleśnia

In the upper part of Jeleśnia, on the road leading to the Polish-Slovak border crossing at Korbielów, stands the baroque church of St Adalbert — the most important monument of this large Beskid village. The present church was built at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, replacing an earlier wooden church.

From Witkowa Field to the baroque

The history of the parish goes back to 1584, when the villagers built the first church on the so-called Witkowa field, subordinate to the parish church of Żywiec; an independent parish was erected in 1596. Today's church has a pseudo-basilica layout — three naves, with the main nave lacking windows — and is oriented eastwards. Slovak influences are visible in the body of the building: the tower's dome resembles the helmets of churches in Liptovské Matiašovce and Rabča on the Slovak side of the range. The church complex together with the rectory from 1817 was entered in the register of monuments on 20 August 1986.

Rococo furnishings

The interior is kept in the rococo spirit: the high altar dates from 1790, the music gallery from 1785, and the four late-baroque confessional boxes from 1776. The two stone baptismal fonts from the 18th century are the work of Żywiec stonemason Wojciech Kucharski, and the painting of the patron saint was made by Antoni Krzęstkiewicz, a painter known for his works in the churches of the Żywiec region. A Pietà stands in the niche facing the road.

Practical information

The church stands at Rynek 2, next to a preserved fragment of the old cemetery with tombstones of local notables. It is open during services; the indulgence feast of St Adalbert falls on the Sunday after 23 April.