Holy Trinity Church in Tykocin

Two towers joined to the nave by semicircular arcades, pale yellow render and a red roof: this is the skyline anyone who has seen Tykocin from the Narew river will recognise. The late Baroque Holy Trinity Church closes the eastern side of the market square and is one of the most striking churches in Podlasie, north-eastern Poland. Inside are gilded altars, paintings by Szymon Czechowicz and a Rococo organ, and the church keeps the chalice that Pope John Paul II used for Mass in Łomża.

History: Hetman Branicki's foundation

The church and the adjoining Missionary friary were founded by Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki, the commander of the army who owned Tykocin and Białystok. Construction began in 1742 and the towers were completed at the end of 1748; the design is associated with the architect Jan Henryk Klemm. The Missionary priests took charge of the church and used the building behind it as a seminary – today it is the parish house. The church is a basilica with a grand front known as a screen facade: the towers are linked to the nave by arches and arcades shaped like curved wings, topped with sculptures.

What to see

• Wall paintings from 1749 by Sebastian Eckstein; the vault paintings were added in 1910–1912 by Władysław Drapiewski in an 18th-century style.
• The gilded high altar in Baroque-Rococo style from around 1750 and six side altars in the aisles; all the paintings in the side aisles are by Szymon Czechowicz.
• Portraits of the founders, Jan Klemens Branicki and Izabela née Poniatowska, on either side of the entrance, painted by the Branicki court painter August Mirys.
• The Rococo organ from around 1760 in the choir loft, restored in 1997–1999.
• The courtyard gate with its iron railings and busts of the four Evangelists.

Interesting facts

The most venerated image is a 17th-century Madonna and Child that locals call Our Lady of the Nobility. As the parish priest explained to the Polish Press Agency, the local gentry married, baptised their children and wished to be buried in front of it. The painting is covered with silver "dresses", leaving only the faces and hands visible. The papal chalice, used by John Paul II in Łomża in 1991, has been used for the most important celebrations since 2 April 2005, the day the Pope died. The church also features on a Polish postage stamp from 2022 and on a 5-złoty coin issued by the National Bank of Poland in 2025 in its "Discover Poland" series.

Tripto tip

The church stands on the market square, a few minutes' walk from the Great Synagogue and Tykocin Castle, so all three fit easily into one afternoon. Allow 20–30 minutes for the interior and courtyard, ideally outside service times. For the best photo of the whole silhouette, head to the meadows by the Narew or to the far side of the square near the monument to Stefan Czarniecki. Conservation work is being carried out in stages, so part of the facade may be under scaffolding.