Market Square in Węgrów

In the sacristy of the church on Węgrów's market square hangs a metal mirror with a Latin inscription claiming that Master Twardowski, Poland's own Faust, once used it for sorcery, before it was "converted" to the service of God. That legend is just one reason to stop at Rynek Mariacki (St Mary's Market Square) in Węgrów, a town on the Liwiec river on the border between Masovia and Podlasie. The square is framed by a Baroque basilica with frescoes by Michelangelo Palloni and the 18th-century Gdańsk House, a reminder of the days when Węgrów was an important trading town.

A town of merchants, Calvinists and the Krasiński family

Węgrów is first mentioned in 1414, in connection with the founding of a parish church. In 1441 Duke Bolesław IV of Masovia granted it town rights. Its position on the trade route to Ruthenia helped it grow quickly. From 1558 Węgrów became an important centre of the Reformation, with a printing press and a Protestant school, and in 1565 it was the cradle of the Polish Brethren, a radical Protestant movement. From 1593 it belonged to the Radziwiłł family, and in 1664 Bogusław Radziwiłł sold it to the Catholic Jan Kazimierz Krasiński, who introduced Counter-Reformation policies.

The basilica and Twardowski's mirror

The main church on the square, a minor basilica of the Assumption since 1997, was originally Gothic and between 1558 and 1630 was used by Protestants, including the Polish Brethren from 1565 to 1592. In 1703–1706 Carlo Ceroni and Jan Reisner rebuilt it in Baroque style to a design by Tylman van Gameren. The interior features frescoes by Michelangelo Palloni from 1707–1708 and paintings by Szymon Czechowicz.

The sacristy holds the so-called Twardowski's mirror: a metal mirror from the second half of the 16th century in a 17th-century frame. The surface is an alloy of silver, tin and zinc, and the Latin inscription on the frame says that Twardowski performed magic with it but that it now serves God. Węgrów makes the most of the legend: since 2015 it has hosted the "Land of Master Twardowski" festival.

The Gdańsk House

On the north side of the square stands the Baroque Gdańsk House (Dom Gdański), built around the middle of the 18th century. It takes its name from merchants from Gdańsk who, according to tradition, kept a trading post here; already in the 16th century an earlier building on the site had a commercial role. Look for the two-storey gable with a wavy top and a star, and the mansard roof with dormers. Today it houses the town library, the Museum of Podlasie Textiles and a small Master Twardowski room, with temporary exhibitions in the cellars.

More to see

• The round fountain in the middle of the paved square, surrounded by benches.
• The former Reformati church of St Anthony from 1693–1715, also designed by Tylman van Gameren, with frescoes by Palloni and a crucifix by Andreas Schlüter; it stands about 500 m from the square.

Tripto tip

Half an hour is enough for the square itself, but with the basilica, the Gdańsk House and the Reformati church allow 2–3 hours. The basilica is a working church, so visit the interior and sacristy outside Mass times, and ask at the parish office about seeing the mirror. Check the opening hours of the museum and gallery in the Gdańsk House before you go.