Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rock in Podzamcze

On the road from Ogrodzieniec to Pilica, in Podzamcze about 2 km from Ogrodzieniec Castle, stands the chapel of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rock. The cult began in 1818, when a resident of Podzamcze saw an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a rock. It is one of the few Polish shrines that grew directly out of a testimony of a vision on a rock.

The image and the apparition

An image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was placed at the site of the apparition. Originally it was to be transferred from the chapel of Ogrodzieniec Castle to the church; however, as the account relates, because Mary favoured the place, the image was carried in procession to the site of the apparition. Since then the rock has been a destination for the prayers of local residents.

The chapel on the rock

In the 1950s a small chapel of gathered stones was built on the rock. In March 2000 it was dismantled and the larger, present church was erected, able to accommodate more pilgrims. The name of Our Lady of the Rock recalls the rock on which the cult began.

Practical information

Podzamcze is a village in the Ogrodzieniec municipality of the Zawiercie county, on voivodeship road 790. The chapel stands at ul. Wojska Polskiego, close to the main route. A visit combines well with a tour of Ogrodzieniec Castle, the best-preserved fortress on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests.