Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Sławków

A colony of bats lives in the roof space of Sławków's parish church, and it has its own Natura 2000 protected area. Beneath them stands a church that has kept its 13th-century brick chancel, a stone nave and a massive tower with walls 2.7 m thick. The church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, also known as St Nicholas' Church, lets you trace several centuries of rebuilding in a single building.

History: an argument about dates

According to the 15th-century chronicler Jan Długosz, the church, originally dedicated to St John the Baptist, was founded by Bishop Fulko, known as Pełka, in 1203. Researchers disagree. Architectural studies quoted by the town place it in the 1220s, while archaeologists from the regional heritage office say construction began in the third quarter of the 13th century, on the site of a 12th-century cemetery belonging to the settlement that preceded the chartered town. Some sources give 1255–1265 and names Bishop Jan Prandota as the likely founder.

The oldest part is the brick chancel with a flat east wall. This shape was typical of churches built by the mendicant orders, and the arcaded frieze of diagonally laid bricks resembles the decoration of the Dominican church in Sandomierz. The stone nave dates from the 14th–15th centuries, while the tower and porch took their present form in the second half of the 19th century. Like the whole church, the tower once had a defensive role.

What to look for

• Bosses in the chancel: the two-bay interior has a rib vault, and where the ribs meet you can see reliefs of the Lamb of God and a rose.
• The east wall: three pointed windows, the middle one taller, and a triangular gable with a round window.
• The nave ceiling: wooden and plastered, painted with the Coronation of the Virgin and the four Evangelists.
• The tomb of Bishop Kajetan Sołtyk (1716–1788) on the north wall of the nave, late Baroque with Rococo and Neoclassical touches, paid for by artists and residents of Sławków.
• The tombstone of Sebastian Nyskowski (d. 1603), the local starost, showing a knight in armour.
• An organ from 1954 on a gallery supported by four wooden posts and two stone columns.

Did you know: bats under the roof

The church is also a Natura 2000 special area of conservation, "Kościół w Sławkowie" (PLH240048), covering 1.45 ha. A 2023 government regulation lists its breeding population of Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus) as the protected feature; this rare species raises its young in the attics of buildings. The colony numbers around 500 animals, among the largest in Poland. The attic is closed to visitors, and the colony is most vulnerable while the young are being raised.

Tripto tip

The church stands on Kościelna Street, a few minutes' walk from Sławków's market square. It is an active parish church, so the best time to see the interior is before or after services; the town does not publish fixed opening hours. Allow 20–30 minutes to walk around the building and look inside. Notice the contrast of materials: the red brick of the chancel and the pale stone of the nave show the two building phases more clearly than any description.