Church of the Assumption in Chroberz

In 1940 the parishioners of Chroberz bribed the German occupation authorities and hid a bell from 1590, which was due to share the fate of two older bells requisitioned by the Austrians in 1916. That stubbornness suits this stone church on a hill above the Nida river: a Renaissance foundation from around 1550, home to the tomb of a "sleeping" knight linked to the workshop of Jan Michałowicz of Urzędów, the leading Polish sculptor of the period.

History: from the legend of Bolesław the Brave to the Tarnowskis

The medieval chronicler Jan Długosz wrote that the first church here was built in 1020 by Bolesław the Brave (Chrobry), Poland's first king – tradition also derives the village's name from him. Historians think the church more likely dates from the 12th century, and the parish is recorded in 1325–1327. Chroberz appears in documents as early as 1153, and traces of a medieval castle survive on the Zamczysko hill above the Nida.

The present church was built around 1550 by Stanisław Tarnowski, Voivode of Sandomierz, probably with the involvement of the parish priest Zbigniew Ziółkowski. After a fire before 1570 the founder's widow, Barbara née Drzewicka, restored it, and in 1576 the church was consecrated. In 1606 the nave was covered with wall paintings, the Chapel of St John Cantius was added before 1664, and in 1899 the Rosary Chapel followed, with some furnishings brought from the former Camaldolese church in Szaniec.

What to see

The church is built of stone, partly plastered so that the masonry pattern shows through. Outside, look for plaques dated 1550 (on the sacristy buttress) and 1899 (in the chapel gable) and the Renaissance portals. Inside:

• ribbed vaults – a net pattern in the nave and cross ribs in the chancel – with coats of arms on the keystones,
• wall paintings from 1606 in the nave, dated by an inscription on the chancel arch,
• the tomb of Stanisław Tarnowski from 1569, based on an engraving by Sebastiano Serlio: the knight lies in a "sleeping" pose beneath a relief of the Resurrection,
• the tomb of parish priest Zbigniew Ziółkowski (d. 1553) in the chancel,
• a Mannerist lavabo in the sacristy and a side altar of the Virgin from 1729–1730.

Sources differ on who carved the tombs: some attribute both to Michałowicz, while the conservation records say he made Tarnowski's tomb with his workshop and link Ziółkowski's to his circle.

Bell tower and surroundings

Next to the church stands a wooden bell tower with a shingle roof, which already existed in 1568–1569, when two bells were cast for it. The church, bell tower and churchyard are listed historic monuments. In the same village is the Wielopolski Palace of 1857–1860, designed by Henryk Marconi and now home to a regional heritage centre for the Ponidzie area – scenes for the Polish film "Przedwiośnie" (The Spring to Come) were shot here.

Tripto tip

The interior can be visited by prior arrangement with the parish priest – call or write to the parish before you go, as the tombs are the main reason to come. Allow 30–45 minutes for the church and bell tower, plus another hour for a walk to the palace and down to the Nida. Chroberz lies in the Złota municipality of Pińczów County, in the heart of the Ponidzie region, and pairs well with Pińczów and Wiślica.