History

The building originally served as the municipal parish church. In a document issued in 1277, even before the town itself was chartered, there is a mention of a parish priest based in Wińsko. The church itself was first mentioned in 1354 and was known as the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the time. In 1432, the church was destroyed by the Hussites. Its reconstruction was completed in 1442. In 1530, the church was taken over by the Protestant community. Since that time, the church was known as the church of the Holy Trinity. In 1542, the church was almost completely destroyed during the great fire which swept across the town. Only the remnants of its peripheral walls have survived the conflagration. It was reconstructed in years 1549-1562, although the lack of funds has meant that the plans for adding a tower had to be abandoned. A wooden bell tower was erected instead. In 1696, during the Counter-Reformation, the church was closed down. It was only in 1707 that the church was returned to the Protestant community. In the years 1872-1877, a tower was added. After 1945, the church was temporarily used as an Orthodox temple and was later abandoned. In 1977, the church was handed over to the local Catholic parish.

Description

The church is located in the north-eastern part of town. It is surrounded by a cemetery (no longer in active use) which is circumscribed by a wall; part of this wall blends seamlessly with the system of fortifications which had once protected the town. The church is a brick structure oriented towards the east; it is a hall church with an elongated chancel featuring a semi-hexagonal end section. The tower, adjoining the main body to the west, features a tall conical roof made of brick, with circular turrets topped with pyramid-shaped spires positioned at the corners of the tower. A sacristy and a porch adjoin the northern side of the chancel and the southern side of the nave respectively. Another, relatively small porch was also erected in the southern corner between the nave and the chancel. The nave section is a three-bay structure divided by a series of pointed arches supported by rectangular pillars. The chancel and the main body of the church both feature a coffered wooden ceiling. The southern porch is a two-bay structure with a cross-ribbed vault, its individual bays being of unequal length. The walls of the church are supported by stepped buttresses. The façades of the nave follow a two-storey layout, with two rows of windows. The lower row consists of window openings shaped as a rectangle lying on its longer side, topped with segmental arches, while the upper row features tall, pointed-arch windows adorned with tracery. Pointed-arch windows are also used for the chancel. The eastern gable of the main body of the church is adorned with blind windows.

Inside the side aisles there are two-storey galleries with solid parapets, dating back to 1726. Numerous epitaph plaques and headstones are embedded both in the outer and inner walls of the church.

The church is open to visitors.

compiled by Maria Czyszczoń, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Wrocław, 27-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Lutsch H., Verzeichnis der Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Schlesien, vol. 2: Die Kunstdenkmäler der Landkreise des Reg.-Bezirk Breslau, Breslau 1889, p. 629.
• Zabytki sztuki w Polsce. Śląsk, Warsaw 2006, p. 1057.