History

The establishment of the parish is dated as of the late 14th century (it was certified in 1404). The currently existing church was erected in the years 1441-1446 from the funds of Jakub Jaszczołdowic, provost of Płock. It was consecrated by the Bishop of Płock, Paweł Giżycki, in 1448. The temple was a faithful replica of the parish church in Gosławice (Konin Voivodeship), erected in the years 1418-1426: a regular, central cross octagon, whose east wing constituted a two-bay chancel, west - a porch with the choir gallery on the second storey, north - a sacristy and a treasury on the second storey, and south - a chapel of St Anna with a room of an unknown function. The annexes were erected on a square floor plan (except for the sacristy) and were covered with stellar vaults (an eight-arm vault above the chancel and a four-arm vault above the annexes). Initially, the nave was covered with an eight-field stellar vault, resting on a central pillar. Stone detailing was used in the interior décor, similarly as in the church in Gosławice. The church was mentioned in the bishop’s visitation documents of 1609 as plastered. In 1744 the church suffered from a fire; the nave vault collapsed as well. After a long period of disrepair, the church was renovated in the years 1780-1786. A wooden ceiling and an eight-faced tented roof crowned with a steeple were installed, the façades and gables of the annexes were repainted. The church was renovated in 1834 and 1849. The last remodelling of the temple had a fundamental impact both on its external appearance and the interior. In 1860 the design of Robert Frydrych, the Construction Counsel of the Treasury Commission, was put into practice: the octagonal nave was covered with a cupola. Majors renovations of the church were carried out in 1930 and in the years 1945-1951 and 1986-1987.

Description

The church complex is situated in the central part of the village, at an intersection of Pałacowa, Południowa and Wiatraczna streets A contemporary screen-type bell tower is situated on its west side, not far from the church. The area of the church graveyard (with a single surviving grave from the 19th century) is surrounded by a stone wall made of split fieldstones, crowned with a decorative metal balustrade. The rectory buildings are located outside the church fenced area, on its south side.

The church is oriented towards the east, made of bricks, plastered and in the Gothic layout. The building layout is central, on a crucifix-shaped plan – four lower arms adjoin the octagonal nave: a rectangular, two-bay chancel at the east end, and three arms on a square floor plan - a sacristy at the north end, a porch at the west end and St Anna’s chapel at the south end. The nave is covered with a faux cupola vault, while the east, north and west arms are topped with stellar vaults. The chancel has a six-arm vault, while the porch is covered with a four-arm vault; all vaults have supports in the form of shields. The St Anna’s chapel features a cross vault, the treasury above the sacristy is surmounted with a barrel vault with lunettes, while the choir gallery above the porch is covered with a barrel vault. External façades are partitioned by rectangular blind windows terminating in segmental and pointed arches (on the chancel). The chancel is flanked by single-stepped buttresses. All arms are crowned with gables segmented by Tuscan pilasters, reinforced by volutes terminating in triangular abutments. The main entrance is located in the Late Gothic portal of the porch. The roofs of the arms are of a gable type, clad in roof tiles: an eight-faced dome-type roof clad in sheet metal over the nave, featuring a steeple crowned with a bulbous cupola. The interior fittings are mainly in the Late Baroque style: the main altar and three side altars are marbleized and include Corinthian columns, volutes and Rococo vases; plus a pulpit, a baptismal font and pipe organ from the same period.

The building is accessible to visitors during masses and following previous arrangements with the parish priest in Krajkowo.

Author of the note Jerzy Szałygin, National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Regional Branch in Warsaw 02-02-2018

Bibliography

• Church of All Saints, after: https://mazowsze.szlaki.pttk.pl/318-pttk-mazowsze-kosciol-pw-wszystkich-swietych.
• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, vol. X., woj. warszawskie, issue 15, Okolice Płocka, (prepared by Galicka I., Sygietyńska H. and Kaczmarzyk D., Warsaw 1992, pp. 60-63).
• Record sheet of monuments of architecture, the so-called white sheet: Kościół parafialny p.w. Wszystkich Świętych, mur., prepared by Joanna Giżejewska, 02.1980, the so-called green sheet: Kościół parafialny p.w. Wszystkich Świętych, prepared by D. Kaczmarzyk, 1959.
• Miszewo Murowane - Church of All Saints, after: http://mazowieckieskarby.pl/atrakcje/atrakcja/430/miszewo_murowane__kosciol_parafialny_pw_wszystkich_swietych