History

A parish-priest in Olszyna was mentioned by written records for the first time in 1413. The present church of St Lawrence was erected in the years 1820-1821.

Description

The village of Olszyna is located 4 km to the south-west of Ostrzeszów. The church is oriented to the east. It has a post-and-beam structure with brick infill. The walls are covered with plaster. It has one nave (with no aisles) and a lower chancel, terminating in a semi-hexagon and adjoined by a brick sacristy having a mono-pitched roof with wood shingles. The roof over the nave, also covered with wood shingles, is surmounted by a steeple with a lantern crowned with an onion-shaped cupola. On the west side, the nave is adjoined by a lower annex in the form of a wooden tower, having a wooden post-and-beam structure and topped with a gable roof with wood shingles. Inside, there is a flat beamed ceiling. The music gallery is supported by two posts. The rood beam is adorned with a folk crucifix. The church fittings include a Mannerist main altar and 18th-century side altars.

The church can only be visited from the outside.

compiled by Tomasz Łuczak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 15-11-2015.

Bibliography

• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, t. 5, Woj. wielkopolskie, red. Ruszczyńska Teresa, Sławska Aniela, z. 17, Pow. ostrzeszowski, opr. Chrzanowski Tadeusz, Kornecki Marian, Samek Jan, Warszawa 1958, s. 11.
• Kościoły drewniane w Wielkopolsce, red. Mariusz Grzebalski, Poznań 2004, s. 180.
• Wielkopolska. Słownik krajoznawczy, red. Łęcki Włodzimierz, Poznań 2002, s. 236.
• http://kosciolydrewniane.pl - odsłona z listopada 2015 r.