History

The parish was officially established by bishop of Cracow Prokop in 1293; it is referenced in St Peter’s Pence records from 1326-1327. The new church was founded in 1408 by Mikołaj Pieniążek, and dedicated to All Saints. In the second half of the 16th century, it was converted into a Calvinist church (“robbed by Mikołaj Dłuski and handed over to heretics”). After the re-Catholicisation of the village owners, in the mid-17th century, it was restored and consecrated in 1624 by Tomasz Oborski, suffragan of Cracow. The current church was founded in 1745 (the construction was completed in 1746) by parish priests Kazimierz Bodurkiewicz, with financial participation of the village owner, August Aleksander Czartoryski. The church was consecrated in 1749, under a new dedication, by bishop of Cracow Andrzej Załuski. In 1865, the church was covered with wood shingles (today it is sheet metal). In 2012, an expert survey concerning the state of conservation of the church demonstrated the necessity to undertake immediate renovation works. According to the survey, wooden structure of walls, towers, and weatherboards were damaged. As part of the implemented project, the brick plinth of the church and the surround running along the church were renovated. Also the structural elements of the main nave, chancel, tower, entrance and side porch, northern chapel, and sacristy, were subjected to renovation and conservation works.

Description

The church is located in the middle of the village, on a small hill. It is wooden, built with the use of a log structure, its chancel features a polygonal end section, and the nave - wider than the chancel, is rectangular in shape. The nave is connected with two distinctive high towers. The towers and the steeple are topped with bulbous cupolas, and in the chancel, there is a false barrel vault. In the western porch, there is a decorative portal. The church is equipped with a choir, and sumptuously decorated. The Gothic sculptures: of St Christopher (approx. 1500), Holy Mother with Child (1480) - coming from the chapel which once stood in the middle of the village, Resurrected Christ (1st half of 16th century) can be works of Wit Stwosz or his students. The depiction of the Crucifixion from the main altar is attributed to Stwosz. It is assumed that the works could be brought to Iwanowice during conversion of the décor in the St Mary’s church in Cracow. The altars come from the early Baroque and late Baroque period. The main altar from the former church with the painting of All Saints and the Holy Trinity; also there, there is the Renaissance crucifix mentioned above; and on the sliding panel - Adoration of the Holy Trinity (approx. 1746). In side altars - St Agnes (1627) and St Anne. Painted decorations on the ceilings: Holy Trinity in the chancel, the Blessed Virgin Mary of Immaculate Conception in the nave, on the sides of the emblem: justice, faith, hope, and love. Over the entrance to the sacristy, there are coats of arms of the founders, Pogoń and Leliwa, under the crown against the background of the cloak. Grave plaques commemorating Michał (died 1799) and Salomea (1840) Walewski, owners of the estate, and Aleksander Walewski (died 1845) and Feliks Dobrzański (died 1890), the owner of the Maszków property. Bells from 1737 and 1525. Pipe organ from 1858. The church is circumscribed by walls from 1859. Stations of the Cross were founded in 1834 by parish priest Szymonowicz. The sacristy is made of brick and originates from around 1900; the older, wooden sacristy was transformed into the chapel of St Anne.

Services on Sunday: at 8.00, 10.00, and 12.00, weekdays: at 18.00 (summer time), or 17.00 (winter time). It is open from 15.05 to 30.09 as part of the Wooden Architecture Route.

compiled by Roman Marcinek, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Krakow, 20-03-2015.

Bibliography

• Brykowski R., M. Kornecki, Drewniane kościoły w Małopolsce Południowej, Wrocław-Kraków 1984.
• Chrzanowski T., M. Kornecki, Sztuka ziemi krakowskiej, Kraków 1982.
• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, t. I, Województwo krakowskie, pod red. J. Szablowskiego, Warszawa 1953, s. 524-525.
• Kornecki M., Kościoły drewniane w Małopolsce, Kraków 1999.
• Kornecki M., Małopolskie kościoły drewniane doby baroku (XVIII w.), „Teka Komisji Urbanistyki i Architektury”, t. XII, 1978; t. XIII, 1979; t. XIV, 1980.
• Łoziński J. Z., A. Miłobędzki, Atlas zabytków architektury w Polsce, Warszawa 1967, s. 116.
• Szlak architektury drewnianej, Kraków 2005
• Osadnictwo i krajobraz, Kraków 1997