Churches & monasteries

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Skarżyce in Skarżyce

Skarżyce, a separate village until 1977 and today a district of Zawiercie, hide one of the more interesting monuments of the Jura: the church of the Most Holy Trinity with three round chapels symbolising God in three persons. Since 1999 the church has served as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Skarżyce. The first written mention of the village itself comes from 1327.

A foundation on the confessional frontier

When Calvinists took over the church in neighbouring Kromołów, Catholics were left without a place of worship. Wojciech Giebułtowski, royal secretary and owner of Skarżyce, funded a new church for them, making use of a tower that had existed since the 12th century. The extended chapel was consecrated in 1598, and the parish was erected by bishop Piotr Tylicki of Kraków on 10 June 1616.

Three chapels — one Trinity

After the addition of three chapels in 1610, the second consecration was performed in 1678 by auxiliary bishop Mikołaj Obarski. At the front of the church rises a tower with a double roof, topped with a turret; loopholes survive in its walls. Limestone walls of the Jura connect the chapels with the tower. In the central part of the church is the presbytery with a Classical altar — wooden, richly gilded, with an image of the Most Holy Trinity.

Practical information

Skarżyce lie in Zawiercie, a town known as the gateway to the Jura. The trip from the town centre is short, and a visit to the sanctuary combines well with sightseeing the Jura attractions of the region.